Distant Enmity
by Fire Rules
Summary: ~The sequel to "A Time For Reflection."~ The plot thickens as Tidus and his comrades make their way into the Farplane. What will become of them? Oh my, it's chapter 8! Run for your lives! Please R&R ^_^
1. Dreams of Foreboding

"Distant Enmity," written by Fire Rules  
  
Author's Note: For this to make any sense whatsoever, you must have read "A Time for Reflection." If you haven't read it, I suggest you do… review that too! :D  
  
Chapter I: Dreams of Foreboding   
  
The beautifully crafted machina clock ticked steadily, annoying his ears. He sat in the dark… how long had he been awake? He'd lost track of time somewhere between the steady deluge from the tropical storm and the awesome lightning crashes that illuminated the sky, but he knew he hadn't been conscious for very long.   
  
Sweating profusely, with cautious eyes darting around the room like a scared animal, Tidus looked at his lovely wife, now six months heavy with child. Yuna was sleeping soundly, regardless of the thunder and his muffled scream of terror that filled the room earlier.   
  
"It's unreal," he thought bitterly. "Why… how can this be happening?"   
  
Images of what he had seen and heard in his nightmare invaded his psyche once again, as cold chills enveloped his being.  
  
_Tidus!_  
  
"Back to the real world," he thought solemnly, his fragmented mind yearning for answers. His thoughts refused to comply, however, and he continued brooding over the images and sounds bombarding his memory.   
  
_Listen carefully... I don't have much time!_  
  
"Who… who *was* that? No, it couldn't have been…" In his disturbing dream, her face was obscured in darkness, but her eyes were filled with fright.   
  
_We need your help… we're all suffering! He's evil, Tidus… nothing but evil!_  
  
"Was that? There's no way…" he mouthed silently as the memories of his vision flooded mind and soul. "What the hell did I see? Was that… Zanarkand?"  
  
He silently begged for an answer from no one in particular as he recalled the horrendous vision. So many people, all beaten, maimed… malnourished. Atrocious cries of agony bombarded his sense of hearing; the echoes of angry whips lashed out in the stagnant air.   
  
His mentality darted to what Imam Guado said many months prior. Screams… there were *thousands* of… screams.   
  
He quickly tried to forget the horrible wailing for a moment as he once again shifted his thoughts back to his conversation with the mystery woman.   
  
_He's forcing us to make things… horrible things! You have to help stop him, or else..._  
  
The conversation ended abruptly… at that moment, Tidus recalled sullenly, he awoke from his nightmare, screaming wildly in the dark.  
  
So he found himself in bed, wincing at the remembrance of his dream. As sweat trickled from his forehead down to the bottom of his chin, he contemplated the final sentence he heard before waking up.   
  
"Or else what? Stop who?" he asked himself miserably. Seriously beginning to doubt his sanity, he anxiously reached for Yuna as his pillar of comfort; she was real and tangible, and he needed her badly. She stirred gently in his arms and opened her eyes reluctantly to a very terrified Tidus.  
  
"Wha… what's the matter? Are you okay?"  
  
Yuna's voice was distant to him, as was his grasp on reality at the moment. Her touch was comforting to his nerve wrecked body, however, so he sought complete refuge in her arms.   
  
He sighed fearfully at the lack of clarity in the dream woman's voice. Nothing made sense, and it was very disturbing to him… was what he saw factual?   
  
Not realizing that his behavior was rousing a heightened sense of dread in Yuna, his fearful reverie was unrelenting.  
  
"Tidus!" Yuna yelled frantically, trying to get a response from her delusional partner. He yelled loudly as her frenzied cry mercilessly shoved him back into the real world. Wild blue eyes met Yuna's, and he completely fell into her arms as the demons that were his thoughts reluctantly left him.   
  
"So… so many dreams Yuna," he choked feverishly. "She's alive… Zanarkand's alive, I…"   
  
"Shh," Yuna whispered gently as she cradled him in her arms, much like she would do with her and Tidus' child in just a few short months. Tidus complied, and he gratefully buried his head into her chest for comfort. Upon putting her hand gently to his cheek, she gasped in shock… he was ablaze with fever.  
  
Letting him go for a moment, she ran to the bathroom and wet a towel with cold water. Upon returning, Yuna quickly scooped Tidus back into her arms and put the towel to his scorching forehead.   
  
After a while, satisfied that his temperature had gone down slightly, she took him in her grasp once again and cradled him to sleep.   
________________________________________________________________  
  
As time wore on, Yuna caressed his hair gently as she chewed nervously on her upper lip. Her thoughts made sleep elusive, and she looked at the totally spent expression on Tidus' face. She sighed longingly at him.   
  
It wasn't the first time it had happened to him… but it was definitely the worst. "He… he actually saw something this time," she thought miserably.   
  
As Tidus explained to her many times, it was just random voices and blurry scenery in his previous dreams. This time, she assumed, was much different.   
  
Her mind wandered to what he said before falling asleep. Zanarkand… alive? Who was the woman he was talking about? All of her anxious thoughts were leading up to an extremely nerve wrecking night for Yuna.  
  
Regardless of his comments or behavior, she didn't think he was crazy. Tidus was brought back to Spira by means of which no one could explain, so it was hard to refute his claims. They determined together that they should search for a reason as to why Tidus was having these dreams. It would be the best for both of them.   
  
In all honesty, however, Yuna was scared… absolutely terrified of losing what she held so precious. She found herself dreading the answer to their questions even more with each passing day. Here she was, about to have a baby with the only person she could ever love… and questions about the duration of Tidus' stay in Spira were once again being raised.   
  
"Well," she thought sadly. "I'm not sure about that." From the way things were shaping up, however, she was becoming mortified of losing him.   
  
"It's not fair!" she thought bitterly. They had given so much for peace, and now… now her only source of happiness was having peculiar and foreboding visions in his sleep! She bitterly contemplated whether there would ever be an end to the madness.   
  
Her thoughts made her nervous. Wanting to drown out all her fear and worry, she buried herself into Tidus' arms, moving her large belly to the side to get closer to him. Reveling in the warmth of skin against skin, she looked at Tidus sleeping soundly. She mouthed an anxious "I love you" in his ear and kissed him gently on the lips before tiredly putting her head on the pillow.   
  
Giving up on questions that couldn't be answered as of yet, she decided to try and sleep. Tomorrow, they would find some answers… tomorrow, she would find out if Tidus was hiding anything from her…   
  
"If that's the case," she thought solemnly, "I'll *force* it out of him if I have to."   
  
________________________________________________________________   
  
Author's Notes: Whee! Timmeh is back, and good to be back, it is! So, what has Fire Rules been doing these past few weeks? Well, a little side project, actually. I also make anime music videos, and I just completed one set to Final Fantasy 8, 9, and 10. The music is a song by The Corrs called "Breathless." If you're so inclinced, the link is as follows:  
  
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/legacy/video.php?v=8881  
  
Yes, this chapter was short. Consider it as more of a prologue than anything else. Also, if you didn't notice, the entire feel of this story is quite different. There will be fluff, but there will also be many more elements of drama and action. A good blend of stuff... you know what I mean.   
  
Oh yeah! I'd like to thank Th' Lady Shadow for helping me brainstorm for the title. It's amazing how big of a headache a two word title can give you when you're trying to think of one! Thanks Shad!  
  
Okay, well, that's that… for now. Review, please? Expect more soon.  
  
Fire Rules  
  
  
  



	2. Memories of Turmoil

Author's Note: Okay, here be Chapter two. Now, just to let you know, the next few chapters are gonna move just a little slow. I need to lay some groundwork, some foundation, to get this thing moving. But hopefully it'll still be an enjoyable read, as many questions are going to be answered very shortly. This chapter delves into Tidus' mind, so to speak… scary, huh? Without further ado, here's chapter two.   
  
Chapter II: Memories of Turmoil   
  
"You want anything to drink, sweetie?"   
  
Tidus curved his lips upward slightly upon hearing her question; it was Yuna's newly appointed nickname for him, and he thought it to be rather cute.   
  
She stood silently at the doorway to the kitchen, patiently awaiting his reply. Not bothering to respond to her simple question, Tidus pondered his admiration of Yuna… her patience with his erratic behavior was astounding. He bitterly remembered what he said to her the previous night, before falling unconscious in her shielding embrace.  
  
"So many dreams…"  
  
He audibly sighed in frustration, realizing how badly he wanted to tell her everything. Tidus, in his wretched emotional state, so desperately wanted to talk to her about the countless sleepless nights, the horrible visions, and the insurmountable fear he had of having to leave her once more. The question was… would she want to listen to him?   
  
"Of course she'll want to listen," he thought forlornly. But would she want to believe? That was the million gil question.   
  
"Tidus?" Yuna prodded nicely, pulling her weary companion's thoughts back into the real world.   
  
"Umm… some coffee would be nice…"   
  
With a cautious look of concern plastered on her face, Yuna gazed at Tidus for a moment, nodded solemnly, and went into the kitchen to prepare his brew.   
  
Tidus continued contemplating his visions. He tried to make reason out of the rhyme, but he simply couldn't find any logic in the majority of his garbled dreams.   
  
He reminisced about the first dream he remembered having about two weeks prior…  
  
_Tidus, if you can hear me, listen closely.  
_  
He undoubtedly remembered that he couldn't see a thing… total blackness enveloped his hallucination. Unlike many of his recent visions, however, he instantly recognized the voice when he first heard it… Braska.   
  
_I know you're happy. We're all happy for you and Yuna, but there are problems in the Farplane that defy reason… huge problems. I really don't know how to say this… we're going to need you back.  
_  
He remembered the pain he felt when he heard those words; like stabbing him in the heart with a dull knife, those simple words cut him to the bone and severed his spirit. Yuna… he couldn't leave her! He told her he would never leave her side again. Were they going to make a liar out of him?   
  
That was all he recalled… he woke up, crying wildly in the dark just as he had done for the past two weeks since then.   
  
The rest of his dreams were too muddled to decipher. Blurry images and random voices constantly attempted to get his attention, but he couldn't make anything out. The only thing his visions had in common with each other was the illness; the way he felt after waking up from his delirium was always comparable. For lack of better words, he would become sick as a dog after arising from his fear inspiring reveries…  
  
Thus, two weeks of restless nights and frightening dreams weighed heavily on Tidus' mind.   
  
"Here you are," Yuna said sweetly, startling Tidus out of his trance. He nodded his head in appreciation and carefully took the mug out of Yuna's delicate hands. As he sipped on the rich coffee casually, Yuna carefully sat next to Tidus on their plush sofa.   
  
"You're really quiet this morning…" she started timidly. "Is there anything that you need to talk about?" Tidus looked his companion over carefully and nodded meekly in reply as he took another swallow of coffee.   
  
"Yuna, I..." He looked solemnly at the ground for a moment, his resolve faltering. "I wanted to tell you about a few things a little later… okay?" Yuna nodded timidly in response to his question and scooted closer to where he was sitting.   
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked awkwardly. Yuna certainly didn't like how this conversation was going. Ever since they were first married, she had always cherished the wonderful conversations that she and her husband could share. The communication in their marriage was great. "Until about two weeks ago," she thought miserably. She couldn't help but ask herself… _did he forget?_ No, he couldn't have…  
  
"I'm okay," he lied. "I'm just really tired… not enough sleep." Yuna looked knowingly at him as she tenderly took his head onto her shoulder.   
  
"You're not okay," she sighed sadly, rousing Tidus' attention. Quickly lifting his head from her shoulder, he eyed her suspiciously for a moment.  
  
"Yuna, I'm fi…" He didn't have time to finish his sentence as Yuna put one finger lightly to his mouth, urging him not to finish the sentence.   
  
Tidus gently removed her finger from his lips. "Yuna… let's go for a walk. We could both use the fresh air, right?" he asked nicely. Yuna curled her eyebrows in confusion, but nodded slowly in reply. He was acting so… strange.   
  
"Where do you want to go?"   
  
"Who knows?" Tidus said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood. "You pick the spot."   
________________________________________________________________  
  
The air was crisp and the sun was shining. A good storm at night always made for beautiful weather the next day; such was Besaid weather. As Yuna led her husband deeper into the heavily wooded outskirts of the tiny tropical village, Tidus was becoming increasingly unsure of their whereabouts.   
  
"Where are we going?" he asked her questioningly. Yuna shrugged in reply.   
  
"Right… here," she said happily, causing Tidus to stumble over his wife by her abrupt stop. Catching her before she could touch the ground, he grinned broadly at her when she erupted into a small giggling fit. "He always makes me so happy. What would I do… without him?" she asked herself nervously.   
  
"I know where we are now," Tidus said matter-of-factly.   
  
Of course, how could he forget? They always went here to talk, and fool around, before they were married… It was the location where they first explored each other… the place where they first gave themselves to each other.   
  
"Why'd you want to come here?" he asked foolishly, much to Yuna's surprise and discontent.   
  
_"Did he really forget?"_ she asked herself sadly. _"But we had agreed that today we would…" _   
  
He chuckled at her long face for just a moment before his expression once again took on a serious demeanor. "I'm just kidding Yuna… happy anniversary."  
  
Her eyes lit up as he reached into his pocket and handed her a slender rectangular case, covered in velvet. Tidus reached his hand over hers and carefully opened the case. "I know you're not really a jewelry person, but I thought this would look really cute on you."   
  
"It's so beautiful," she exclaimed wondrously, embracing Tidus in her happiness.   
  
"Here, let me help you put it on." Tidus took the elegant gold chain, adorned with vibrant sapphires and emeralds, and gently placed it above the silver necklace she had worn for so long. He stepped back a couple of feet to look her new jewelry over carefully.   
  
"All right!" Tidus exclaimed happily, as if he had just discovered a grand revelation. "It matches your eyes perfectly." Yuna blushed lightly in response, giggling just a little.  
  
"It's funny," she commented in between her laughter. "It looks like we both got jewelry for each other… close your eyes." Tidus shot her a perplexed gaze, but he complied with her request. Yuna pulled out the bulky silver chain and thought back to a few months prior.   
  
She remembered how upset he was when he lost his Zanarkand Abes chain. One of the only reminders to his lost home, it washed away at sea during a blitz ball practice when the clasp to his necklace broke. So, she felt it was her duty to do something about it. Thus, Yuna placed a near perfect replica of the chain around his neck.   
  
"Okay," she said softly. "You can open your eyes now." Tidus obeyed her command and gazed at the bulky ornament attached to his neck… his eyes widened in excitement.   
  
"I know it can't replace your old one," Yuna said solemnly. "But I thought you might like it…"   
  
"I love it!" Tidus interrupted excitedly.   
  
Yuna nodded happily as a large grin appeared on her face. "Besides," she said as she playfully yanked the earring on his left earlobe. "You have to have something to match that…"   
  
Tidus laughed and jokingly batted her hand away from his ear. His visage turned surprisingly tranquil after that, and Yuna looked curiously at him. "Thank you so much, Yuna... for everything."  
  
She didn't know what to make of his sudden change in moods, but she nodded quietly and put her head on his shoulder. Tidus looked around carefully, making a mental note of their beautiful surroundings. He yawned and leaned into his wife slightly.  
  
"Looks like it's just the three of us, huh?" he asked Yuna, putting his hand carefully to her enlarged belly. Yuna nodded in reply as she felt the little one inside of her kick gently. Tidus smiled when he felt the baby's movements, and Yuna nestled herself deeper into her husband's grasp as a feeling of comfort encircled her.   
  
"We still haven't thought of a name yet," she commented dryly. Tidus nodded in response. Sure, they had tried to brainstorm some names, but neither of them could think up of any decent ones at the time being.   
  
"Hmm… well, maybe we should just wait until the baby is born to think up of a name," Tidus observed thoughtfully. "Some people say that it's easier to find a name for a child when you're actually able to see it… you can make a connection between the name and face, you know?"   
  
Yuna sighed in response. "Maybe you're right… Tidus?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"No… it's nothing. Never mind."  
  
Tidus didn't buy her reply; he had a feeling that he knew what she was trying to ask. "You're worried about the dreams," he said deliberately. Yuna nodded nervously in reply. "So am I… Yuna, I need to tell you about them."  
  
"I… I'm scared of what you might say," she quickly stated. "I thought that I wanted to find out... that I would force it out of you if I had to. But now, I… I'm scared. I want to know, but I…"   
  
"I won't force you, Yuna... I'll tell you whenever you're ready."  
  
"No," she muttered resolutely. "Tell me now… I need to know, Tidus." He nodded as he stroked her hair reassuringly.  
  
"Where to begin?" he asked himself nervously.   
  
"Most of my dreams," he started quietly, rousing Yuna's attention. "I couldn't understand them. Everything was fuzzy, and I couldn't make out the voices. Last night, though… and my first dream too. Those were the ones that scared me."  
  
Yuna looked at him uncertainly, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt nervously. She silently hoped that he would stop talking; unfortunately, she was fully aware that she needed to know what was going on.   
  
"Last night, I saw this woman. I couldn't make out her face, but I *knew* those eyes. My… mother."   
  
She curled into his grasp tightly, wanting his explanations to end. She was fighting the urge to tell him to stop. Tidus took note of her discomfort and looked at her carefully. "I'll stop if you want me to." She muttered a forced "no," prompting Tidus to continue.   
  
"Yuna… in my first dream, I saw your father." She looked up at him quickly, waiting for Tidus to go on, yet at the same time not wanting him to continue. He sighed inwardly… this was the hard part.   
  
"He… he said that he knew that we were happy; he knew that, Yuna. But there's a big problem on the Farplane." She nodded nervously at him.  
  
"I… Yuna," he faltered, not wanting to say it. His scared wife tugged his shirt gently, her bright eyes, no matter how terrified they looked, urging him to continue. "So brave," Tidus thought admiringly.   
  
"Yuna… he said that they *need* me back."   
  
She sat there for some time… unmoving, unresponsive. "No…" she whispered inaudibly, vigorously shaking her head back and forth. Tidus attempted to pull her into an embrace, but she quickly recoiled from his touch, shaking her head once again in denial.   
  
The memories hit him… on the airship, after they defeated Sin.   
  
_No.   
_  
She had begged him not to leave, shaking her head back and forth desperately.   
  
_Yuna… I have to go.   
_  
She shook her head frantically once again, silently pleading with him.   
  
_I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand… good bye.   
_  
"No!" he thought feverishly, looking at his wife's eyes brim with tears. It would not happen that way again.  
  
"Yuna… I won't leave you."   
  
Yuna looked up at him sorrowfully, tears now falling freely from her face. "They're going to need you," she choked. "Daddy wouldn't have said so if they didn't."  
  
"They can do it without me!" he said loudly, startling his already frightened wife. He composed himself a little to look into Yuna's eyes… so full of sadness.   
  
"I'm only causing her pain," he thought bitterly. "She… would've been better off if I hadn't come back."   
  
"Wha… what if the dreams aren't real, Yuna?" he asked urgently, madly searching for a way to ease her hurt.  
  
"You know that they're real…" she replied hotly, the vehement tone in her voice surprising him.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said flatly, looking into her eyes. "I'm so sorry… the baby, I…"   
  
"It always seemed too good to be true," she said dejectedly, interrupting Tidus in mid sentence. "This love… this marriage." She looked at the ground sadly as she ran her sweaty fingers through his soft hair. "Ju… just promise me you'll come back."   
  
"Yuna, I don't know if…"  
  
"Please!" she whispered fervently, gripping onto her husband. Tears spilt freely off of her face and settled on the hard ground below them.  
  
"I won't promise you that!" he replied in equal passion, looking frantically into his wife's damp eyes. He composed himself and continued to speak in a much calmer fashion. "I… I'm not going to make a promise that I might not be able to keep." He placed his right arm gently on Yuna's shaking form and stroked her back comfortingly.   
  
"But I *will* promise that I'll do everything I can to come back… and die trying if I have to." He looked into her eyes and sweetly kissed her forehead. "I want to be with my wife," he said earnestly, not attempting to hide the emotion in his voice. "I… I want to see our baby."   
  
She nodded at him in between sobs, and Tidus gently wiped the tears from her face with his free hand. "Come on," he said softly. "We have to pack for our trip." She nodded as Tidus picked her up and gently carried her home.   
  
They had to get ready for their anniversary vacation…  
________________________________________________________________  
  
"Is everything in order for this evening?"   
  
"Hell if I know… ask Auron," Jecht told Akeno bluntly. Auron didn't need to be asked; he overheard his gruff friend's declaration.   
  
"Yes... we have six battalions of troops armed and ready," he stated plainly, looking at Akeno.  
  
"Excellent… tonight, we *will* break the barrier. There will be no more failed attempts."   
  
"Will this open a way to talk to him?" Braska asked Akeno cautiously.   
  
"Hopefully... Sir Tidus needs to know more details. With the barrier gone, it should be a simple matter to contact him now. With any luck, this can be ended quickly. Any questions?"  
  
"Yeah," Jecht proclaimed loudly. "Who's going to talk to him?"   
  
Braska looked at him for a moment. "I really think that you should talk to him… he's *your* son."   
  
"Yeah, whatever… I guess so," Jecht muttered indifferently under his breath.   
  
"I must go," Akeno stated impersonally. "Good luck to us all."  
  
After he was sure he had left the house, Jecht scowled openly about their ally. "Good luck to us all!" he muttered sarcastically, poorly mimicking Akeno's voice. "Asshole."   
  
"He is hard to get along with," Braska stated plainly. "But he's our only…"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know… he's our only hope," Jecht spat in reply. "If he's our only hope, enlighten me with an answer to this question… why hasn't he given us a damn reason for needing Tidus back?"  
  
"We don't know," Auron replied. "But he *does* have his reasons."   
  
Jecht appeared agitated… were they being brainwashed, or something? "This is the biggest load of Chocobo crap I've ever heard! My son is… *was* happy, and we're winning the war! Why the hell do we need him back? Just because Akeno says we need him, we're gonna go and take him away from his *pregnant* wife?   
  
"Calm down Jecht," Braska replied forcefully, eyeing his livid friend carefully. "Do you think I'm happy about it? Yuna is *my* daughter, and I want her happiness just like you want Tidus' happiness! But we need to give Akeno some time. He will explain himself eventually," Braska proclaimed shrewdly.   
  
Auron cut in. "And you know as well as all of us do that Tidus is not to stay here permanently. He'll be with Yuna again."   
  
"Yeah, whatever… if he doesn't get banished to hell first," Jecht replied icily. He looked heatedly at his companions.   
  
"Well… what are we waiting for? We better get ready for tonight… it's time to ruin my son's life now."  
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Author's Notes: Phew, pretty poignant chapter, ehh? You can expect this story to be just a tad bit more emotionally charged than Reflection. Sure, Reflection had a lot of fluff, but it was overall a happy story. This one… well, it's just different. Just keep reading to find out more, ehh?   
  
Hmm… I don't have too much to say. Let me know if Tidus and Yuna were too wordy. I tried to keep constant paragraphs of dialogue down to a minimum. I hope all you peoples liked this chappie! Expect more very soon. (If ff.net doesn't crap out *again*)   
  
Update, July 13, 2002: For some reason, my chapters are simply NOT posting right. Everywhere there is supposed to be … there is only one period. So, it's making my grammar and capitalization look really bad, and I'm not really happy about it. I'll try to fix it as soon as I can, ya?   
  
Fire Rules  
  



	3. Futile Desires

Author's Notes: Heyo everyone! Chapter 3 is here… hmm, have you noticed something different between this story and my last one? And no, I'm not talking about the difference in writing style. I'm not updating near as often as I did in Reflection. 

Unfortunately, I'm a little busier than I was when I was writing Reflection. It got to, got to, and got to spend more time with my wife… Timmeh loves her to much to neglect her! :D 

Anyways, as much as I would love to just write chapter after chapter, I can't. So, I just wanted to say that before everyone starts to think that I'm neglecting my writing duties. Okay, well, this is a Tidus and Jecht chapter… enjoy.

Chapter III: Futile Desires

"Hey… you hear me, boy?"

Everything was blurry… his head throbbed mercilessly against his skull, and he felt incredibly queasy. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep with Yuna by his side… what was going on? He agonizingly rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe away the blurriness. 

Suddenly, he felt a soothing aura fall comfortingly over him, and he abruptly felt much better. Reluctantly opening his eyes, Tidus noticed that he could see clearly. 

The surroundings were pleasant. A lush green field at dusk greeted his weary eyes, and… "Oh hell."

"Is that all the thanks I get for getting rid of your little migraine, boy?" Jecht asked his peeved son sardonically. 

"What is this dad, some sort of dream? What's going on? What's..."

"If you would slow down for just a damn minute, I'll explain what's going on!" Jecht proclaimed curtly, interrupting Tidus' confused banter. 

Tidus furrowed his brow in anger, bright cerulean eyes piercing into his father's. "I am *not* going to leave her… so don't even ask." Jecht nodded understandingly, but quickly looked back up at his son. 

"Just… let me explain why you've been getting such a mind job lately," Jecht pleaded gruffly. Tidus reluctantly agreed, nodding slowly in reply. 

"First off," Jecht started, sitting down on the green grass. "Braska wanted me to apologize to you for him. He screwed up… those dreams weren't supposed to be that way." Tidus joined his dad on the turf, his eyes blazing in confusion. "But that's beside the point." 

"You see," Jecht proclaimed knowingly, idly fingering a rock he had picked out of the soil. "The barrier blocking the Farplane in Guadosalam is… *was* there for a reason."

"Wait a minute," Tidus briskly interrupted. "What do you mean, was? It's still there… right?" 

"As of about… oh, thirty minutes ago, it was still there. It should be gone now… at least the barrier surrounding Zanarkand is; I know that much." Tidus' eyes widened in surprise, and Jecht nodded as if he knew what his son was about to ask. 

"Your mother," Jecht said dryly as he once again looked his son in the face. "She's there." The shock left Tidus' visage, and he nodded deliberately. 

"I know… she decided to pay me a visit last night." Jecht looked surprised for a moment, but the gaze of astonishment was quickly replaced by curt laughter. Tidus, not at all amused by his brusque chuckling, inspected his father scornfully. 

"Sorry," Jecht proclaimed softly. "I just thought that we were the only ones trying to mess with your head. Tell me… what'd she have to say? I… wanna see her soon." 

"I don't wanna talk about it," Tidus replied hatefully, looking away from Jecht angrily. His father nodded in consent, slyly hiding the hurt that his son's tone of voice caused him, and decided to resume his explanations. 

"Well, it turns out that your buddy Kaemon isn't such a great guy after all… Tidus, he sent you back to Spira to get you out of his hair. At least that's what Akeno says." Tidus nodded slowly as his father's words sunk in… he inwardly wondered to himself why he wasn't surprised at what he was hearing.

"So he's the one who put the barrier around the Farplane entrance?" Tidus asked curiously. Jecht nodded quickly in reply as he stood up for a moment to stretch. 

"Yeah... his reckless actions were making all sorts of crap go screwy in the Farplane. If he hadn't put the barrier in place, the living would have come in direct contact with the dead. Because of Kaemon's… misbehavior, the Farplane entrance as Spira knows it no longer exists. It goes straight to the *actual* Farplane." 

Tidus was visibly shocked at this point as his father continued speaking. "And, as we all know, the living doesn't mingle well with the dead." 

"Why… would Kaemon do that? And if the barrier's gone, what's keeping the living away from the Farplane now?" Tidus asked, dumbfounded.

"A war, my boy," Jecht said boisterously, looking at Tidus' bewildered expression. "Wars make a crumbling civilization spring back to life… if the crumbling civilization wins, that is. The Farplane was an uneasy place… political issues were threatening Kaemon's rule, and well, he didn't like that too much." Jecht's voice faltered a little as he continued speaking, his rage against Kaemon building. 

"As for the barrier, nothing is keeping the living away from the Farplane. Kaemon is welcoming the living with open arms, so they can become… dead." 

"It's starting to make sense now," Tidus thought bitterly. "This is never gonna end." 

"Kaemon has hopes of going to war with the world of the living. Akeno and Yumiko as well as me, Auron, and Braska, put something on the plate that he wasn't expecting. So far, we've had a lot of success decimating his forces, because… of this." 

Jecht removed a brightly glowing sword out of his sheath and showed it to Tidus. "Wha… what is it?" he asked curiously, mesmerized by the bright green luminescence of the blade. 

"It's a ticket to hell, Tidus," Jecht said bitterly, noting the disbelief in his son's face. "You ever heard of the banish spell before? I think one of Spira's finest blue haired maesters used it on occasion." 

"This just keeps getting better," Tidus proclaimed unhappily, quickly standing up once again to pace back and forth. "So what does this banish spell have to do with Hell? Tell me!" 

"It is hell," Jecht replied wryly. His comment made Tidus wince, but he continued to speak. "No one really knows what goes on there, but just about everyone assumes the worst. This blade… it has the banish spell imbedded in it. When I strike someone with it… well, let's just say it's not easy to send someone to hell. It brings a feeling of guilt that can *never* be justified."

"I… I've heard enough!" Tidus furiously stated. "Let me out of here... I want to go back to my wife!" Jecht smiled dryly in reply.

"I really can't blame you… hell, that's what I would say." He leaned in closer to Tidus and looked around cautiously. "I wasn't supposed to tell you this... there's so much more to all of this than meets the eye."

"Such as?' Tidus asked indifferently. 

"There's something wrong with Auron and Braska. This Akeno guy… something just isn't right with that nut job, and my friends are obeying his every wish and whim." Tidus looked at Jecht worriedly, concern plainly written on his face. 

"What about Yumiko?" Tidus asked curiously. 

"I think that she means well… I've heard her and Akeno argue about many issues before. It never sounds really pretty. It's just too damn hard to tell right now." Jecht looked around nervously. 

"They could be spying on me… listen close, boy. I'm not going to say that you have to come here to save my sorry ass. I'm gonna leave that one up to you." Tidus continued looking at him as he spoke. 

"But I want you to know that if you don't, there may not be a world for Yuna or your baby to live on when this is all over. I'm alone here, Tidus. Something isn't right with my friends, and I won't lie… I need your help. Just think about that, please."

"They're making them build things," Tidus proclaimed sadly, his face hung low. "Horrible things… it's what mom said. You need to go to Zanarkand… now!" Jecht nodded quickly in reply. 

"I'm sorry that we made you feel sick these past few weeks… it wasn't worth it. With Kaemon's barriers in place, let's just say that we had to force ourselves into your mind." Tidus sighed in reply.

"I don't know if I can bring myself to leave her, dad," he said forlornly. "But if I do force myself to leave… where do I go?" 

"Just go to Guadosalam," he said dryly. "You'll know what to do when you get there." Tidus nodded in reply and Jecht waved farewell. 

________________________________________________________________

Sweatdrops… they ran freely down his face. He was shaking, but… he didn't feel ill. His wife was by his side, and he was inwardly relieved that he wasn't pulled into the land of the dead just yet. 

_"My wife," _Tidus thought sadly. _"I love her too much… why does it have to be like this?"_

He nuzzled his hot face deep into Yuna's neck, gently rousing her out of blissful slumber. She awoke suddenly, fearfully yelping at the thought of another terrifying evening of Tidus' nightmares. 

"Are you okay?" she asked urgently, the sleepiness still apparent in her voice. "How are you feeling?" She quickly placed her hand on his forehead… his face was sweaty, but he wasn't running a temperature. 

"I'm fine… Yuna, we need to talk," Tidus said unhappily as he looked into Yuna's frightened eyes. 

"I figured… let's go to the kitchen; I… I'll make us some tea." Tidus nodded despondently and followed her closely to the kitchen. 

_"How am I going to tell her? Somebody… please tell me how I'm going to do this."_

He had no clue how is was going to explain what his father had told him… it would be another long night in the making. 

As they walked through the dining room into the kitchen, neither of them noticed the glowing emerald blade that sat in the corner of the room… a gift from Jecht. 

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes: Okay, well, that was yet another short chapter. I apologize, but it's basically what I wanted for this chapter. From now on, I think, the chapters will be quite a bit longer. 

Don't expect another chappie for at *least* another two weeks. Yep, me and my wife's one year anniversary is coming up, and we're taking an eleven day, ten night vacation in New York City. We're also going to Niagara Falls for a couple of those nights, so it's gonna be really fun and hopefully romantic too! :D

Oh yeah! Before I forget, I wanted to thank Shad for beta-ing Chapter 2. It completely slipped my mind, soooo, I'm thanking her now. Thank ya Shaddeh! 

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if it's too depressing right now. I promise it'll get better. As a matter of fact, the next chapter is gonna be a really sweet, happier chapter. You'll see what I mean. Thanks for reading everyone, and I want MUCHO reviews, mwehehe!

Fire Rules


	4. The Real Farplane Blues

Author's Note: Heyo everyone! I got back from good ole' New York about a week ago. My observations about the city? Big… and smelly. Call me a country boy, but I was happy to return to good old Texas, regardless of the boredom that I'm experiencing right now. I'll keep these notes short and leave the longer note until the end of the chapter.   
  
This chapter is from Jecht's POV… Betcha weren't expecting that, were you?  
  
Chapter IV: The Real Farplane Blues  
  
I'll admit that I was in a pretty bad mood that night. Hell, I was in a downright crappy mood, actually. Giving news like that to my son was the hardest thing I've ever had to do as a father.  
  
As a father… shit, who am I trying to fool? I was never a father to that boy. Sure, I've tried to reconcile for my pathetic behavior as of late, but it'll never make up for the way I acted when he was young.   
  
So I found myself walking along the war beaten trail, acting upon Tidus' advice to go to Zanarkand quickly. For a reason I can't understand, I didn't want to bring my friends. Maybe it was mistrust, or maybe I felt like it had nothing to do with them. My objective was to find the lady that *I* care for, and it was none of my friend's damn business.   
  
It was incredible how light security was in the Farplane that night. Normally, I would've had to sneak around carefully, like a damn spy or something. I didn't particularly like that, just like I didn't like living in damned houses buried deep underground to avoid Kaemon's constant bombardment of spells. But that night, Akeno's army really did a number on Kaemon's forces, and the path to Zanarkand was free and clear.  
  
As much as I wanted to get the thoughts out of my mind, I just couldn't keep that boy's words out of my mind. His determination didn't surprise me… of course he doesn't want to freakin' leave his wife! Just like I didn't want to leave… well, that doesn't matter anymore.  
  
Nearing Zanarkand, I felt something I hadn't felt since I became Sin. What the hell was…? I don't know.   
  
_Fear?_  
  
Yeah, that's what it was. I felt fear… it was as plain and downright obvious as night and day. So many people, drowning in their own damn fear… my wife was one of them. That made me more adamant about getting her out of that hell hole.   
  
Upon reaching the gates of Zanarkand, I could smell the stink of the city. Enough to bring a shoopuf to its knees, the smell of garbage permeated the air, and I had to breathe through my mouth to keep from feeling nauseous. Anya was in that place… it makes me damn furious every time I think about it.   
  
The fun began when I made my way over the gates and into the city. It was quite guarded in Zanarkand, unlike the rest of the Farplane.   
  
_Guarded by what?_  
  
I didn't know what the hell they were, but I realized that it wasn't the smell of garbage that permeated the air. It was more like the smell of rotting flesh. Were they undead? I thought I was undead, but this… this took the freakin' cake.   
  
These things were the stuff of childhood nightmares times fifty. Their eyes, if you could call them that, were deep and hollow but gave off freaky red glow at the pit of their eye sockets. They were walking skeletons, with rotten and damn nasty flesh hanging loosely on their brittle yellow bones. Their frames were stained bright red, and their teeth were bloody too. Let's just say that they made a Great Malboro look about as cute as a little moogle.   
  
Now, I'm not easily scared… I've been through and seen a lot in my day, but I did the first thing that came to mind… I ran.   
  
The ensuing fight for life in Zanarkand was all but a blur to me. Eventually, I was surrounded by them. Naturally, I tried my handy dandy banish sword, but it had absolutely no effect on them. It wasn't until later that I understood what these things really were.   
  
With my emerald blade useless against those things, and death (or whatever it was) quickly approaching, I turned to an act of desperation. Pulling out my trusty steel blade, I started swinging… to my surprise, limbs started falling off.   
  
It was working! Those creatures were certainly ugly, but they were damn stupid. Cold steel brought about a quick death for them. I quickly dispatched them all and made a mad dash for the only place I thought to look. I followed the screaming... the *thousands* of wailing screams.   
  
Upon reaching the destination, the sight that greeted my eyes made me want to hurl in disgust and anger. So much injustice...   
  
It looked like a factory of sorts, with a large smelter starting the long assembly line. The end product looked to be countless vials of ominous green liquid, maybe a spell of some sort. But I only had one objective… find my wife.  
  
The people guarding the makeshift factory were human. At least they looked human, so I struck with my banish weapon. It worked… never has sending someone straight to hell felt so gratifying. For once, I didn't have to try and justify a reason for doing it. I knew these guys deserved it.   
  
I ran around the complex, screaming for my wife like a madman, striking down enemies as they crossed my path. Eventually, as damn silly luck would have it, I found her. That doesn't mean that I recognized her.   
  
She was so skinny… so pale. The glow in her face that I knew and loved was completely gone and bruises covered her small face and body. Anger consumed me… I wanted to tear the place apart.   
  
There wasn't any time for it though, and I forced my fury to subside. I was there to save my wife, not to seek revenge.   
  
I didn't have time for a happy reunion. I picked her up and fled from the revolting city with haste. She weakly held onto me as I hacked my way through more undead creatures and made my way out of the city.   
  
Strangely enough, they didn't follow me… I think they were too damn stupid to chase after me, but I didn't stop running… I wouldn't stop until I could get her to safety.  
  
I remember *vividly* what happened when I got home that evening, after crawling through the vast underground highway that led to our subterranean home.  
  
As I burst through front door, I yelled wildly at my friends to give me a hand with Anya. Half shocked at what they were seeing, and half shocked at my insane behavior, they sat there… they just sat there.   
  
I focused on my wife again… I didn't have time to mess with those jokers. I ran quickly to the bathroom… she badly needed a bath, and she needed her wounds taken care of immediately. My friends quickly followed suit after intelligent thought returned to them.   
  
"Get Akeno," I told Braska bitterly. "We need to talk to him now!"   
  
Braska opened his mouth to protest but quickly left the house to search for him. Auron looked at Anya carefully and glanced back at me.  
  
"We need to get these clothes off… they're not helping her at all."   
  
I nodded in reply. They smelled about as bad as Zanarkand did. I took her garments off, and my wife moaned slightly in pain. I had to keep myself from gasping at what I saw. Her entire body was *covered* with cuts and bruises. The anger and hatred once again welled up inside of me, but I focused my attention back to the matter at hand.  
  
Auron left the room for a minute and came back with a trash bag to throw her clothes in. I drew water for a hot bath and slowly put her in.   
  
I've never seen her so damn helpless as I did that night… it made me feel helpless.  
  
I was always the man with the answers… the one to turn to. Strong Jecht. Courageous Jecht. I felt none of that when I saw my wife's battered body that night. For once, I had no answers, no sarcastic remarks… I wasn't strong or courageous that night.  
  
I saw the gashes caused from the whip running up and down her back. I saw the bruises on her face and body from the beatings she had to endure. I saw the cuts caused by the dagger all over her body. My wife… thrown around like a damn rag doll. No, I wasn't strong or courageous when I looked at her that night… I was weak and angry and scared.   
  
I was simply Jecht, Anya's wife… and I swore to myself as she sat weakly in that bathtub that I would protect her.   
  
After washing the grime off of her body, there was the matter of her numerous wounds. Auron helped me clean and dress her cuts and scrapes and gashes, as I put ice to her large bruises. She was unconscious, and once we were done bandaging her injuries, we thought it best to put her to bed.  
  
I tucked her in that night in my bed and kissed her on the forehead before I left the room. It was all I could do.   
  
When I walked back into the living room, Braska was sitting on the couch with Akeno and Yumiko's irritating jabbering filling the room. I thought it would be best to tell them what the hell I saw that evening. If Akeno was a traitor, I would make him fess up then and there.   
  
I went into a long description of what I'd been through that night. I explained the condition of the people of Zanarkand, the undead creatures that guarded the perimeter, and the way I retrieved my wife. The bastard simply sat there and nodded knowingly.   
  
That was the last fucking straw.   
  
I charged him ruthlessly. Ramming him forcefully into the wall, I punched him hard in the gut and lifted him up by the collar, pinning him to the wall.   
  
"You knew about this all along you little prick," I spat angrily at him, squeezing his neck tightly. He reached weakly for his neck, and I tightened my grasp. Yumiko squealed in fear as she saw her comrade being choked to death.   
  
"Jecht… what will this accomplish?" Auron asked rationally.   
  
I'll admit that I wanted to kill him that night… I probably would have, if Auron hadn't have stopped me. It wasn't until about a week later that I realized I was taking out all of my pent up anger and aggression from that night on Akeno. Sure, he deserved some of it, but killing him wouldn't have solved anything.  
  
I snapped out of my angry stupor and let Akeno drop to the ground. The resounding "thunk" of Akeno's body hitting the floor gave me a little bit of satisfaction.  
  
Akeno looked up at me, hungrily taking in air. "The… man," he said shakily as he coughed. "The man… the warrior of dreams that liberates Spira shall ward off evil from the Farplane." We all looked at him in astonishment.  
  
"So it is written," Yumiko added.   
  
"Tidus," Braska said softly. Akeno nodded as he slowly stood up.   
  
"I am truly sorry that I did not inform you all sooner," he said slowly.   
  
It always pissed me off how he always tried to talk so dignified. I wanted him to cut to the chase. He realized the angry stare I was giving him and cleared his throat.   
  
He said something about the creatures I saw being undead creatures… like I didn't know that to begin with.   
  
"These creatures come from what we have been calling hell. This place is not hell though… it is merely another dimension of death, much like the Farplane. It has been dubbed by our colleagues as the Netherworld."  
  
All of his babble was giving me a headache… I wanted some straight answers. Yumiko came to save the day.   
  
"What sets the Netherworld apart from the Farplane is the entity that runs the place… he's pure evil. His evil makes Kaemon's brutality seem insignificant. Unfortunately, they struck up a deal."  
  
"Struck up a deal?" I asked.  
  
"Throughout the war, we've been concentrating on banishing our enemies. The ruler of the Netherworld is beginning to send them back as undead soldiers. These soldiers are not intelligent, but they are very numerous."  
  
"Who is this ruler of the… Netherworld?" I heard Braska ask.   
  
"We have no idea," Akeno said. "We intend to find that out when Sir Tidus returns."   
  
"Our advantage," Yumiko said, "Is that the inhabitants of the Netherworld are experiencing what is called the second death. Once these undead soldiers are slain, they are truly, completely, utterly nonexistent. It would explain why Sir Jecht was able to kill them."   
  
It was all starting to make sense, in one hell of a freaky sort of way. I'd heard enough for the evening.   
  
"I'm gonna go to bed." I ignored their replies and remarks and walked into my bedroom, falling asleep as I watched the steady breathing of my sleeping wife.   
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
It's been around two weeks since all of that crap went down. The undead soldiers have overrun the Farplane, and Akeno is convinced that they will enter Spira when their dominance in the Farplane is assured.   
  
So, we sit here like a bunch of helpless idiots waiting for the return of my "savior" son. If he can save the universe, more power to him, but I have a hard time believing he's the one and only solution to this mess.   
  
My wife is doing pretty good. The "glow" has returned to her face, and she's gained most her weight back. She's been eating more than a Shoopuf that just woke up from hibernation, but I can't blame her. Most of her bruises have healed up, and her cuts are mostly gone.   
  
I asked her where she went after she died so long ago… she didn't want to talk about it. Maybe time will heal the horrible ordeal she had to go through, but who knows?  
  
She woke up this morning in my arms, and I'll admit that it felt pretty nice to do that again.   
  
"Hey," I said softly, watching her rouse in my grasp.  
  
"Hey," she proclaimed tiredly, as she gave me a sleepy smile.   
  
"Want anything to eat?"   
  
"You know I do."   
  
"Heh… yeah."   
  
"Jecht?" she asked slowly, her curious eyes looking into mine.  
  
I could see the fear in her eyes and hear the uncertainty in her voice.   
  
"Do you think he'll come?" I looked at her carefully. How was a guy supposed to answer something like that anyway?   
  
"I don't know… if he doesn't, he's a damn fool." Anya slapped my arm playfully, silently scolding me for making fun of our son.   
  
"I hope he knows that we need him."   
  
"I think he does… C'mon, I know you want some breakfast."  
  
"Okay… Jecht?" she asked weakly once again.  
  
"What now?" I proclaimed playfully, pretending to be frustrated at her persistent questions.  
  
"I love you."   
  
"I love you too."   
  
Damn… those words came so easily from my mouth; I almost couldn't believe it was me. Sure, she knew that I loved her when I was with her and Tidus in Zanarkand. I just never said it out loud. It was like a mutual agreement between us.  
  
Now, *everything* has changed.   
  
I kissed her playfully as I prodded her to the kitchen. We both knew that if we didn't get help soon, there would be nothing left. So, we cherished every minute we had together.   
  
"If all of us… If I'm gonna die, what a way to go…" I thought, as I stared silently at Anya.   
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
Author's Notes: Another poignant one, indeed. BUT! I hope you liked the little blip of Jecht and Anya fluffiness toward the end.   
  
Well, what can I say about New York? Me and my wife had a ton of fun, but there certainly wasn't enough time to do everything we wanted. It was a very busy vacation. New York was neat, but my absolute favorite part of the vacation was going to Niagara in Canada. It was so beautiful there, and we got to eat at the 700 ft. tall Skylon tower that gave a perfect view of Niagara from afar… beautiful ^_^  
  
Hmm, well, I guess I don't have much more to say. Next chapter will be set in Spira. I know that all of this is extremely depressing. Right now, it's the only way I can think to write this. It'll most certainly get happier though, I promise… (as soon as the evil is gone, that is)   
  
Oh yeah! I'd like to apologize for the language in this chapter. Believe me, it wasn't like I wanted to put a ton of swear words in this. But I would think that a ticked off Jecht would be a foul mouthed Jecht, so I wrote the chapter accordingly.  
  
I'd like to thank Th' Lady Shadow once again for helping me out on the first 1/3 of this chapter. She's been a lot of help for me on this story, as I'm just a simple minded fluff writer at heart. :D Thanks Shaddeh!  
  
BTW, the title of this chapter is wholeheartedly derived from the name of the last episode of Cowboy Bebop: "The Real Folk Blues." Anyone who has not seen that anime has *got* to check it out. I'm a total Bebop freak.   
  
Well, until next chapter… I want mucho reviews! Mucho _mucho_!   
  
Fire Rules


	5. More than a Shadow of Doubt

Author's Note: I have a lot to tell you guys I suppose, so I'm gonna save alllll my author's notes for the end, okay? Okay! :D  
  
Chapter V: More than a Shadow of Doubt  
  
"We are losing ground… their numbers are far too many for our small military to control. We need some help from outside forces, or we will not be able to contain them much longer."  
  
They all sat across from Imam Guado, President of Guadosalam, in the large boardroom of the mansion. Tidus thought it was far too close to the enemy for comfort.  
  
It had been about a week since the army of undead arrived. Undead… it was the best way to describe them, he thought. He and Yuna decided that it would be best for Tidus to stick around until they were positive the Farplane needed his assistance. 

They had just returned from their anniversary vacation in Luca when they found out about the attack on Guadosalam. When Yuna gently touched his shoulder, Tidus' thoughts returned to the conversation at hand. 

"I see," he proclaimed irately. Things were looking bleak… he and his wife had made a decision together. They had decided that he would go to the Farplane to check things out. Yes, it was unfortunately becoming quite obvious that he had to leave.  
  
He hadn't told anyone, with the exception of Yuna, about his visions. Maybe it was time to spill the beans.   
  
"The problem needs to be taken care of from the inside," Tidus said softly. His comment roused the attention of his comrades, and he looked serenely at them all. Yuna urged him to continue.   
  
"There's something Yuna and I haven't been… forthcoming about. Let me explain."   
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
"So you're telling me that your buddies from the Farplane have been giving you whacked out messages, telling you to come help them?" Wakka asked curiously. Tidus nodded slowly in response. It *did* sound ludicrous, now that he thought about it.  
  
"Brudda, are you feeling alright?" Wakka looked at his friend. He never thought Tidus to be crazy, but right now he had his doubts.  
  
Yuna decided she needed to interject.   
  
"Everyone… he's telling the truth." Yuna looked at Tidus, visually prodding him. "Come on, show them sweetie."  
  
"After the last conversation I had with my dad, Yuna and I found this in our house. We have no clue how it got there."   
  
He pulled out the emerald blade… everyone gasped and immediately knew that Tidus was telling the truth. The banishing blade he was talking about… its craftsmanship was *not* of Spiran origin.   
  
Tidus looked at the blade in disgust. They didn't stumble across it until they returned from their vacation. "Thank goodness," Tidus thought solemnly.   
  
He remembered Yuna's reaction when she saw it. Hysteria wouldn't be the word… more like immense sorrow. At that point, she knew all of it was for real. At that point, any hope she had to keep her beloved on Spira crumbled. It wasn't a joke or a mistake… he would have to leave.   
  
"So what does this all mean?" Rikku asked, interrupting Tidus' thoughts. "It's giving me a headache."   
  
Ignoring Rikku's pouting, he started speaking once again. "It means I have to go and find out what's going on. I really *don't* know what it means… all I know is that Kaemon needs to be stopped."   
  
"Alright… when do we leave?" Wakka asked matter-of-factly.  
  
"*We* don't leave," Tidus said stoically. "I leave… they only asked me to come. I don't want all of you getting wrapped up in this." Rikku shriveled her nose at the comment.   
  
"Men… you pig headed man! Big fat stupid head, you left for the Farplane like that last time. You're not gonna do it again without some help!"   
  
Rikku looked at her cousin, her green eyes wide with enthusiasm. "Right, Yunie? You want him to have some help!" She looked at her carefully. "Right?"  
  
Yuna was unsure if Tidus would get upset with her if she were to agree. The prospect of him having assistance and companionship, however, sounded like a good idea. She would have gone with him herself, but a certain something kept that from happening…   
  
She looked at Tidus respectfully and lifted her head so her eyes could meet his. "I think it *would* be a good idea… at least for the camaraderie."   
  
Tidus looked miffed. "Yuna, I…"  
  
"No buts!" Lulu interrupted harshly, surprising everyone in the room and causing Tidus to jump. "I will not stand here and see Yuna's heart broken once again. You need to go, and I understand that… but you must go with some help. You *will* return to your wife."   
  
If looks could kill, Tidus would have been stone cold dead.  
  
Lulu's terrifying stature reduced Tidus' reaction to a fearful shrug in agreement. It was clear that he was too shell-shocked from Lulu's outburst to object receiving assistance, no matter how badly he might have wanted to. Lulu looked satisfied, and Rikku gave her an ecstatic grin and a victorious thumbs-up when she walked by to take her seat, much to Tidus' consternation.  
  
"Me an' Rikku should go with you, ya? Lulu can take care of Yuna until we get back, right Lu?"   
  
Nodding in response, Lulu looked at Tidus evilly once again, emphasizing the fact that he had to comply with their wishes. "What about Kimahri?" 

"No can do," Wakka stated flatly. "He's still not back from Gagazet, and we don't have any way to contact him... the only thing we could do is wait for him to get back, I guess."

"We don't have time for that," Tidus stated. "I guess it'll just be the three of us."  
  
Rikku giggled shortly thereafter. "Then it's settled! It'll be just like the olden days, like when we fought the underwater bad guys and such!"   
  
Imam Guado waited patiently for the interlude to near its completion… upon finding an opening to speak, he took it greedily.   
  
"About the issue with reinforcements… Lady Yuna, would you be kind enough to contact Luca or Bevelle for some troops? We can't hold out much longer."   
  
Her fame in Spira was nothing to sneeze at, and it would be relatively easy for her to get some troops for Guadosalam.   
  
Yuna nodded vigorously in response. "Of course… I'll contact them in the morning, if it can wait until then." Imam nodded in relief.   
  
"Out of curiosity, Imam," Lulu said questioningly. "What have these… creatures been doing with your defeated men? You mentioned earlier that they just seem to disappear."   
  
"That's a good question, Lady Lulu," Imam replied. "The only thing I can make of the situation is that they've been taking them back through the gate…"   
  
"They want more baddies," Rikku said, interrupting the Guado leader. Noticing the questioning stares she was receiving she decided to elaborate.   
  
"Well, duh! They're undead creepy zombie monster things, right? They're killing the soldiers and taking them back to make more undead creepy zombie monster things. It's like an endless cycle, y'know?"   
  
Everyone's face brightened at Rikku's theory. It made perfect sense, in a Rikku sort of way.   
  
"That would explain what my dad was talking about," Tidus said to no one in particular.   
  
"He said that nothing was keeping the living from the Farplane. Kaemon's welcoming the living with open arms, so they can… become dead." Tidus averted his gaze to Imam.   
  
"Imam, have your soldiers had any luck in killing those things?"   
  
"Why yes," he replied. "We've destroyed a great deal of them with guns and swords…"   
  
Tidus looked at his emerald blade. "This thing probably won't work against them then… how can you banish something to hell when that's where it came from in the first place?" Everyone nodded in reply.  
  
"So, when should we leave?" Wakka asked curiously.   
  
"Tomorrow… first thing in the morning," Tidus said sternly. Yuna looked at him sadly.  
  
_So soon? _  
  
Every fiber of her body wanted to scream in protest. Instead, she looked sadly at her husband for a moment and shifted her gaze to the plush carpeted floor.   
  
She then thought about her husband… how his leadership abilities have grown. He always was the hero. Yet again, it was his story… she held back the tears.   
  
"Speaking of which," Tidus proclaimed, looking in Wakka's direction. "I… I don't think that blitz ball of yours is gonna work."   
  
"Wha…" Wakka stuttered. "But I like my blitz ball brudda! Come on, World Champion would work!"   
  
"I think Tidus is right," Lulu said, ignoring Wakka's forlorn gaze. "A blitz ball would be rather ineffective against these foes."  
  
"You can use Avenger… it has death strike, so it should be pretty effective," Tidus proclaimed. "I know you don't really kick butt with a sword, but you'll learn pretty quick."  
  
Wakka nodded weakly in reply, too upset to object. Rikku smacked him repeatedly on the back, feigning comfort.   
  
"Rikku, can your dad fly me to Besaid so I can get it for him?"   
  
Rikku stopped smacking Wakka on the back and looked at Tidus. "I'm pretty sure… I'll get in touch with him and find out, k?" Tidus nodded and looked around the room.  
  
"Well, it looks like we're all set. We'll leave at sunrise, I suppose… let's get out of here."   
  
Everyone looked at Tidus and stood up from their seats. Upon bidding farewell to Imam, they all departed for the inn.   
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
Lulu stood on the patio of the hotel restaurant. Having just finished talking to Yuna, she sighed at the mental image of the crying young woman. At the time, Tidus was off getting Wakka his sword, and Lulu comforted her friend the best she knew how.   
  
He admired the strength that Yuna was trying to show her husband. And on top of that… the pregnancy. "How hard it must be for her," she thought sadly.   
  
Tidus… she would've been lying if she were to say that she wasn't angry with him. To think that he wanted to go alone! The nerve of him… Rikku summed it up nicely when she said "pig headed man." But at the same time, she realized that he meant well... no one could stay mad at Tidus for *very* long.  
  
"Hey."   
  
Lulu jumped in surprise, only to find out that it was Wakka.   
  
"You startled me."   
  
"Sorry."   
  
Wakka walked up to stand beside her on the edge of the patio and joined her in star gazing.   
  
"You would've thought all this fighting would have been over by now, ya? Makes me wonder if we're ever gonna get a break."   
  
Lulu had to nod in agreement. Fate kept throwing Spira so many curve balls, and she had to ponder if it *would* ever end.   
  
"I feel bad for Yuna."   
  
"I do too," Wakka said sadly. "And she was so happy… I never saw her so happy in my life!" he proclaimed vividly, illustrating his comment with goofy gestures.  
  
Lulu turned to face Wakka. "You and Rikku are going to get him back safe?" Wakka nodded in response.  
  
"You betcha... you're gonna be a good midwife for Yuna, ya? She'll need all the help she can get while Tidus is gone." Lulu nodded briskly and looked at Wakka pensively.   
  
"*You* are going to get yourself back in one piece… right?" Wakka looked at her for a moment and grinned.  
  
"As long as I can learn this sword, ya?" he proclaimed, pulling the sword out of its sheath and waving the blade around wildly. Lulu turned away from him abruptly.  
  
"That's not funny."   
  
Wakka regretted his actions and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I guess all these hard times are making me try to be a little lighthearted… ya?" Lulu said nothing, but turned around quickly and embraced him.   
  
"Just come home… for me."   
  
After the initial shock of her embrace left him, he tightened his hold on her slender waist.   
  
"I will…"   
  
Lulu decided to try her hand at a joke. "If you don't, I'll have my Onion Knight finish the job before the zombies do."   
  
Wakka laughed loudly, not noticing the tears that were streaming down Lulu's face.  
  
From a distance, Rikku saw them embrace… she smiled and decided that privacy would be good for them. As she turned and walked in the direction of her bedroom, she glanced at them one last time. She would do her best to get Yuna and Lulu's men back to them…   
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
"Hold me this one last night…"  
  
He really didn't like those words. Yuna, always the optimistic Yuna, being pessimistic. He *really* didn't like it.   
  
"Don't say things like that," Tidus proclaimed softly, trying to make her realize that he would do everything he could to return to her.   
  
_He didn't want to leave in the first place. _  
  
Yuna trembled softly in his arms… a dead give away that she was crying. Tidus concluded that her pregnancy must make her already unbearable situation even worse, and he wrapped his comforting arms around her to ward off the tears.  
  
"Yuna, it's okay. I'll have Wakka, Rikku... and Kimahri with me." Yuna looked up at him questioningly, and Tidus decided to explain. 

"He was waiting for us in Besaid when I went to get the sword... he returned from Mount Gagazet early and insisted on coming with me after I explained what was going on. You know Kimahri wouldn't let anything happen to me..."

Tidus looked at her carefully... his soothing words weren't helping. "Lulu will be here to take care of you too... everything will be fine." She fidgeted in his arms a little and looked up at him.   
  
"Then why won't you promise me you'll come back?" she asked sadly.  
  
"Because I'm not gonna make myself a liar if I can't. Just… trust me." She didn't reply, but simply buried her head deeper into his chest, her disheveled hair brushing past her husband's forehead.   
  
He took in the scent of her hair… he wouldn't be able to smell that familiar smell for a while, and it upset him. Not being able to hold her in his arms… it angered him. He just wanted peace, with Yuna by his side.   
  
Obviously, the powers that be thought it was too much to ask… so, here they were again. They were at another crossroads in their relationship, but yet again it was through no fault of their own. Tidus tightened his grasp on her.  
  
Yuna looked at her husband, tears streaming down her face. She would remember the look that he gave her at that moment. Pure love… it was the best way to describe it. She would cherish that gaze forever.   
  
"If I never see you again…" she started.  
  
"I told you, don't talk that w-…"  
  
"Let me finish… please," Yuna begged, looking at Tidus pleadingly. He nodded in reluctant agreement.   
  
"If I never see you again, just… just know that you were the best thing that ever happened to me, to all of Spira." She tearfully collapsed in his arms once again, consuming his warmth for any comfort she might have been able to grab from it.  
  
He held her for a few moments. He didn't want to say it… he couldn't say it. But he slipped, and he *did* say it... he prayed he wouldn't regret the words.  
  
"I… I'll come back… I promise." Yuna looked up at him, a glimmer of hope renewed on her face.  
  
"Even if it's a lie," She said. "Even if it turns out to be a lie… I'll cherish that lie forever. I'll cherish *you* forever."  
  
She kissed him hotly as she melted into him once again.   
  
"Make love to me… make love to me tonight," she gasped as Tidus kissed her neck passionately.   
  
Tidus undressed her hastily and gazed at her… he'd never thought maternity could look so good on a woman. Maybe it was his love for her… maybe it was because she was beautiful regardless. It didn't matter.  
  
"You… you were the best thing to ever happen to me too," Tidus said solemnly as he crawled on top of her. In unison, they said it together.  
  
_I love you…_  
  
As they made love that night, possibly for the last time, they cherished their bond with each other. Their bond… it was one that could never be broken, never would be.  
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
They held each other in bed, their naked bodies keeping each other blissfully warm. It was late… Tidus would be drained in the morning, but neither of them wanted the night to end.   
  
It was too… perfect.  
  
"You should go to sleep," Yuna said softly as she kissed him tenderly.   
  
"Nuh uhh… I'm not going to leave you just yet. Sleep… would be me leaving you."  
  
Yuna couldn't help but giggle. "You must be really tired… that hardly made any sense." Tidus grinned sleepily and nestled his head on top of her shoulder.  
  
"You know I don't wanna leave, right?" he asked slowly.  
  
"Of course… but it has to be done."   
  
"But why can't someone else do it?" Tidus asked, demanding an answer from no one in particular.  
  
"I've questioned that myself… because you're Sir Tidus, savior of Spira, and a pretty good blitz ball player too," she proclaimed, grinning awkwardly.  
  
"I'm glad you're smiling."  
  
"Me too… I won't be tomorrow though." Tidus sighed.  
  
"At least you're being honest." Tidus yawned loudly, subconsciously tightening his hold on Yuna.   
  
"You *should* go to bed… I don't want you getting yourself killed because you were tired from a night of passionate lovemaking with your wife."   
  
Tidus laughed... "Yeah, okay… love you."   
  
"Love you too."  
  
They fell asleep in each other's arms, maybe for the last time, maybe not. Tidus knew one thing… he would do everything he could to get back to her. After all, he made her a promise... he wasn't about to break it.  
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
Author's Notes: Well, there you go, Chapter Five… I was gonna make it a little longer, maybe by about 1000 words or so, but it just felt completely, entirely, totally, *finished*. I guess it's just one of those author things.   
  
Ahh, Tidus and Yuna, and Gaspeth! Lulu and Wakka…! I dunno, it reminds me of a movie or something, the men heading off to war, leaving their women. As for Rikku, well, you'll see… muhaha!   
  
For all of you who are reading this for the non-fluff aspect of the story, sorry… but there couldn't be any other way for Yuna and Tidus to say their goodbyes, right? Besides, I wanna please *everyone* who's reading this story. Besides, I really do like fluff… but this is fluff with a plot. ^_^  
  
Alright, this is the long part… I'd really like to apologize for the lack of updates. It's been almost one month since I've written a chapter, most definitely the longest I've ever gone without updating. There are a number of reasons for that, but most of it boils down to a very stressful Timmeh.   
  
Let's see, in the course of one month, my wife and I have been worried that she was pregnant, which turned out to be not the case. I'll tell you, waiting for the news is actually worse than getting the news, you know?  
  
Also, we bought a new car, which is a big financial strain initially due to the down payment, insurance prorated increases, etc.  
  
School started as well last week, and in that same week I was sick, so that left out writing.   
  
And worse of all, and it came down really hard on my wife and I… a good friend of ours… his father killed himself a couple of weeks ago. It was really disturbing, as he was such a good man, and well, I'm pretty sure I don't have to explain myself too much.   
  
So yeah, writing has kinda been not a major priority lately. But I *am* glad to have written this chapter, and I really hope to write with greater regularity real soon.   
  
"Shadow of Doubt," composed by Yoko Kanno and Majme Mizoguchi kept me going while I was writing this. It's from Escaflowne… *wants to see Escaflowne* Ahh well, I'm too poor for expensive anime, and I have no broadband internet, so boo hoo for me.  
  
Hehe, note the chapter name too… I decided it's easier to get chapter titles from anime and music than thinking of them myself ^_^   
  
And last but not least, thanks to Shad for helping me out with minor details on this, such as one of Tidus' swords names, etc. Shaddeh, you're always a great help in everything, and I appreciate it *a lot*   
  
Anyways, please tell me what you thought of this chapter. A little encouragement would be, uhh, really encouraging. This author needs some of that right now. *Holds up a big "I'm not begging" sign.* Seriously, I'm not… but some reviews would be realllly nice. Thanks a bunch, and until next chapter.  
  
Fire Rules  
  
  



	6. Into a Grey Sky Morning

Author's Note: Heyo people! Well, since I'm done with my little, err, "side" project, (check my stories if you don't know what I'm talking about) I'm back with another *riveting* chapter. Heh… yeah Fire Rules, keep telling yourself that. ^_^

By the way, just so you won't be confused about the chronology of this chapter… this chapter and the last chapter takes place about one week after Kaemon's forces entered Spira. That would make it three weeks total after Jecht rescued Anya, ya?

Alright, without further ado, here be you chapter six. 

Chapter VI: Into a Grey Sky Morning 

He was dark, sinister… a shadow of the kind man he once was. There was no time for being good, only time to conquer. 

He entered his chambers quickly, kneeling before a portal of some sort. A loud, absolutely malevolent voice echoed loudly throughout the room.

"Good morning, Kaemon... has everything been going according to plan as of late?" Kaemon shook his head briskly, continuing to kneel submissively.

"The Farplane is under control… your forces have almost brought their puny rebellion to its knees. But this man, Jecht… about three weeks ago, he saw the factory and freed a woman who was enslaved there."

"That is most certainly not good news," the voice proclaimed loudly. "They must not find out what is being manufactured there. Why haven't you contacted me sooner?" 

"I am sorry… I have been rather preoccupied. But it gets worse, sire. Intelligence reports that they have contacted that boy Tidus… it is rumored that he may try to enter as early as this morning. He's bringing his comrades." 

"This is not unexpected… you do know of the prophecy, correct?" 

"Yes Master… is it true?" Kaemon asked curiously, lifting his head timidly to view the dark image greeting his eyes.

"I laugh at it… one boy cannot change the natural course of things." 

"Yes… what would you like me to do then?" he questioned, returning his head back to the ground. 

"Let them in." 

"Excuse me? But we've been letting no one in unless they are already slain…" 

"Take them in forcefully... alive," the menacing entity repeated. "When they enter, I will entrap them within the Farplane by means of another barrier. We'll use them to lead us to Akeno. This pathetic insurrection will not be over until that man is subdued." 

"Yes milord… and what of the conquest of Spira?"

"We will continue after we are sure that Tidus and his allies are under control." The image looked at Kaemon sharply, a devious grin forming on his lips. 

"This boy Tidus… he has a wife, does he not? A pregnant wife…?" 

"Yes." 

"I have some use for him later. We need some leeway, so hit him where it hurts," the entity demanded. "Once they are in and we are sure that they will not escape, send your best soldiers to get her… you will then take her to me." 

This struck a lone chord in Kaemon's hardened heart. "Is that not a little extreme? Surely we can take care of this boy without…"

"Do as I say… bring her to me when the time is right. She will make excellent leverage for my plans." 

"Yes, master." 

The image disappeared quickly and Kaemon stood up. He walked swiftly out the door... there was work to do.

~~~~~~  
In Spira  
~~~~~~

Daybreak arrived too quickly. 

It was hard for Tidus… stirring out of slumber first, he found Yuna buried in the sheltering embrace of his arms and looked at her pensively. He knew what her mind-set would be when she awoke. He wasn't looking forward to it… he didn't want to leave her. 

__

"It's not too late to change my mind." 

But what would that accomplish? Would he and Yuna even be alive this time next year if he decided to quit? He didn't know… it was for that reason that he couldn't make himself back down. There was too much to lose by staying... even if he had to die to save Spira, by God he would do it. For Yuna… for the baby. 

Gently releasing Yuna from his grasp, he rose from his bed to put on some boxers and look out the window. Expecting the comforting light of daybreak, he was disappointed to see otherwise. 

"Just had to look like *this* today," he whispered quietly. "Hope it's not a sign of what's to come." 

It was a dismally dreary morning… the sky was an ominous grey, with blackish clouds filling up the heavens. Fog scoured the surface of Guadosalam forebodingly. The dull, unusually gloomy morning gave Tidus a weird feeling.

"This… doesn't feel right," he proclaimed, louder than he wanted to. 

"What doesn't feel right?" Yuna asked softly, causing Tidus to turn around quickly to face her. 

"Yuna… sorry, didn't know you were awake." Yuna ignored his comment and looked deeply into his eyes.

"What doesn't feel right?" 

He did *not* want her to hear that comment. As if she didn't have enough to worry about… now she knew clear in her mind that even her usually confident husband didn't even feel good about the situation. 

__

"Might as well tell her what I'm thinking now," he thought darkly to himself. 

"I'm not sure, something just doesn't seem right. Look at the sky… it doesn't look normal." Yuna looked curiously at him and stood up out of bed, wrapping the comforter around her bare body. She walked up next to Tidus to peer out of the window. 

Yuna sighed softly… he was right, it didn't look normal. Even a bad weather day looked better than this. That morning, Guadosalam looked… fiendish. 

Tidus turned his head to look at Yuna. "I just… don't wanna leave." 

He turned away from her and walked a few steps away from the window. "I'm scared. I want to run someplace far away… with you, away from the madness."

Yuna frowned at his comment. Tidus, her brave, valiant husband… scared? She put her arm on his shoulder, trying to comfort him as well as herself. 

"What are you scared of?" she asked quizzically, even though it was obvious she knew the answer.

Tidus exhaled sharply and turned back around to look at her. With piercing blue eyes staring into Yuna, he spoke softly.

"I'm not scared of whatever Kaemon has to throw at me. Sure, they might have a powerful army, but to hell with them… I'm scared of losing you."

Yuna ran a delicate hand through Tidus' unkempt hair and smiled bravely at him. 

"I thought it wasn't fair," Yuna started, "that you had to leave me again to protect all of Spira. I… I thought it was selfish of this world to demand so much of you." She embraced him gently, leaning her head on his broad shoulder… stifling tears, she continued. 

"But before I fell asleep last night, I thought of something. What if… what if this is how it's supposed to be? To protect Spira… what if all of this was determined long ago? Like destiny… or something?" 

Tidus started to speak, but Yuna continued talking before he could get a word in. 

"It… it kind of comforted me to think about it, knowing that you might be Spira's protector. It means that nothing can happen to you… who can protect Spira then?

She looked at him quietly, waiting for a response to her emotional sentiments. 

"Right?" 

Tidus didn't want to question any thoughts that may have comforted her. But with all the cowardice he felt deep down inside of him, he *hardly* felt like a protector. Still, he nodded slowly, in hopes of making Yuna feel better about the situation.

"Maybe you are right… who knows?" 

Yuna kissed him on the lips and returned her head to his shoulder, not wanting to let go of him. Tidus put his mouth close to her ear.

"You know,' he said softly, "I don't have to leave, Yuna. Maybe… maybe we should see what happens?" She released her embrace to look at him and shook her head in objection. 

"No… as much as I want to, it would be selfish of me to have you stay. If we wait and see what happens… there might not be anything left. You know that, sweetie…" Tidus nodded in reply. 

"Yeah… I'm gonna miss you." 

"So am I… and if you don't come back, I'll come looking for you." Tidus couldn't help but chuckle.

"I can see it now… a nine month pregnant Yuna going to the Farplane, politely asking undead zombies if they've seen her husband." 

Yuna feigned anger, trying hard not to chuckle at his crude comment. She wanted to be mad at him for making such a remark, but she always failed miserably when it came to staying angry at Tidus. 

Yuna frowned broadly at him. "Have I told you how bad you are?" 

Tidus took her into his arms once more. "Only every single day… you know I was just joking, right?" 

"Yes… of course. I… I'm going to miss you so much."

"Me too… remember that I love you. All I'll be thinking about when I'm gone is how much I want to be with you again. Okay?" 

"Okay…" 

"I guess we should get ready… I still have to get supplies ready. You know, we're gonna need a lot of potions, since you won't be around," Tidus complained. 

"Well," Yuna said quietly, "I've actually been teaching Rikku quite a bit of curative magic lately. Her heal spells are getting really powerful… if these creatures really are undead, it should help." 

Tidus smiled brightly at her. "That *will* help a lot… even when you're not coming along, you still save my neck." Yuna smiled in return. 

"Come on… we need to get ready. I promised Imam I would call for reinforcements, remember? I thought I would radio Bevelle from Cid's airship." 

"Oh yeah," Tidus said dejectedly. "I was hoping we could spend just a little more time with each other… duty calls, huh?" Yuna nodded thoughtfully, and a playful smile appeared on her face. 

"Let's get in the shower," she said gently, dropping the comforter to the floor. "One last time…" 

Tidus grinned excitedly and followed her to the bathroom. 

__

"Man I'm gonna miss her." 

________________________________________________________________

Wakka, Lulu and Rikku lounged lazily in the hotel's adequately sized restaurant. Deciding that the uncomfortable silence was unnerving, Wakka decided to say something.

"How about this Guadosalam coffee? It's the best part of waking up, ya?" Lulu and Rikku nodded, disinterested. 

"Where are Yuna and Tidus?" Lulu asked curiously. "They're over thirty minutes late." 

Rikku looked at her knowingly. "I'm sure it's lovey-dovey stuff, or something. Can you blame them?" 

Lulu and Wakka nodded in agreement… they really couldn't blame them. In the long run, they figured that thirty minutes wouldn't have a direct impact on the salvation of Spira.

About that time, the young couple walked into the restaurant, hand-in-hand. Yuna thanked Tidus as he politely pulled a chair out for her. He quickly sat down beside her and looked at his friends. 

"Sorry we're late," Yuna said apologetically, looking at her friends. "I had to radio for troops for Guadosalam and…" She looked longingly at Tidus, and Lulu politely interrupted her.

"It's okay Yuna… we understand." Wakka nodded.

"You don't have to explain it to us, ya? Thirty minutes ain't no big deal." Rikku nodded reassuringly. 

"So," Tidus started, changing the subject. "Have you been outside yet today?" 

Rikku nodded vigorously. "Yeah, it's super creepy outside. As long as it doesn't start… thundering." 

Tidus laughed at her comment. "Heh, I don't know what was funnier… you screaming at every crash of lightning, or me getting struck by it!" 

Every one laughed at his comment. It certainly scared them all when Tidus got hammered by that lightning bolt. But Tidus, being the type of guy he is, got up quickly and shook the cobwebs out of his head. Looking back at the situation now, it was rather amusing.

Silence once again prevailed as they picked at their food. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't make the atmosphere brighter. 

About that time, Kimahri walked swiftly into the restaurant to greet them. Wakka, Lulu and Rikku were obviously surprised to see him, as they hadn't heard anything about his arrival from Gagazet. 

"Kimahri!" Yuna yelled gleefully as she ran up to her furry friend to embrace him. Kimahri returned her affection and eventually released her from his grasp. 

"Kimahri happy to see Yuna again." 

Yuna smiled brightly and motioned for him take a seat at the table with them. 

Tidus noticed the questioning stares and decided to explain.

"Wakka, when I went to get your sword last night, he was in Besaid." Kimahri nodded.

"Kimahri wants to help." 

Wakka smiled and patted Kimahri hardily on the back.

"The more the merrier, ya?" 

Lulu looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. "I hate to be the messenger of bad news but… it's time to get going. Do you all have enough supplies?" 

Everyone nodded slowly, grudgingly standing up from their seats. 

Tidus looked at all of them. "Yeah… we better get going. Imam and his soldiers are waiting for us." 

It had all been planned out. The soldiers of Guadosalam were to aid them in exterminating the undead that guarded the passage to the Farplane. Once that task was accomplished, the group would be alone. None of them knew what would be waiting for them on the other side. 

They walked unhurriedly out of the hotel, into the abysmal grey sky morning that greeted their eyes. It was far worse being outside than seeing it from a window. 

"This isn't a normal storm," Lulu said flatly, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice. 

Tidus nodded timidly and squeezed Yuna's hand just a little tighter. The air was thick, suffocating… nauseating. He couldn't help but wonder if this was how the entire Farplane was. 

As they neared the entrance, the soldiers rendezvoused with them to take up a defensive position in the rear. Yuna and Lulu continued traversing the distance to the Farplane with their friends. As they neared the entrance, Yuna's eyes widened in fear. She grabbed Tidus' hand, stopping his walking abruptly. 

"Yuna… what's wrong?" 

"Tidus… you can't go!" 

"Wha… what's going on, Yuna?" he asked worriedly, trying to keep walking despite Yuna's firm grip on his arm. 

"A trap... Tidus, it's a trap! 

"Yuna, why do you say this?" Lulu asked, sounding slightly exasperated.

'I… I don't know. I haven't felt like this since I was a summoner. You can't go, this isn't going to work!" 

Tidus was about to turn around. The desperation in Yuna's voice was *extremely* convincing... he was about to turn around, that is, until they came down upon them. 

"Look out!" Wakka yelled loudly as the creatures started toward them. All hell broke loose. 

Tidus leapt into action quickly. Caladbolg flickered brightly, its glow increasing as the blade sliced through the putrid flesh of the monstrous creatures. 

"Lulu, get Yuna out of here!" Tidus yelled over the familiar and unwelcome sound of battle. He saw Yuna, deep in concentration, and the recognizable bright flash of Holy broke through the air and wiped out a horde of creatures encroaching upon Tidus. It was helpful, though not helpful enough. 

The battle was short but destructive. Their numbers were too great to be controlled. The soldiers had little effect. The creatures were here for a reason… get Tidus, get his comrades. 

They focused on Rikku and Kimahri first, who were furiously trying to defend themselves from the incessant onslaught of enemies. They couldn't hold out any longer, and the creatures subdued them. Tidus cried out in anguish as they pulled Rikku and Kimahri into the Farplane. 

Wakka was next. He was clumsy with the sword, but he had been defending himself admirably. The numbers were too great, however, and he too was taken.

Eyes met… his cries of objection did not deter her. She ran to him, arms outstretched, tears flowing freely. 

All the creatures made their way to the Farplane and clutched Tidus forcefully as he ineffectively tried to force himself free of their grasp. She ran still closer to him. 

Hands touched… nothing could be done. He was entering. 

Lulu took a hold of Yuna as she still grabbed tightly onto her husband's hand. 

"Yuna!" He looked at her as he was taken still deeper into the Farplane. 

"Love… you. I swear I'll be back!" Their grasp on each other failed, their fingers brushing against each other one last time. 

Gone… he was _gone._

Yuna instantly made a run for the entrance. She hit the barrier and fell weakly to her knees. They had closed it up again. She… couldn't follow him. 

"No," Yuna whispered quietly. Lulu continued to hold on to her, trying to comfort Yuna and, at the same time, trying to comfort herself. 

"No…" 

She repeated the comment slowly, endless tears flowing freely down her face… he could *already* be dead. It was too much for her. 

"Come back… come back to me." 

The situation was out of her hands. The trap had been sprung. There was nothing left to do but wait. 

__

"How long… how long will I have to wait?" 

It was a question she would have to ask herself for many months to come. 

"Love you…" Her sobs filled the air as the sun claimed the grey sky.

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes: Well, there you go. My goodness, how depressing! Will Tidus and co. get out of it okay? Well, I guess you'll just have to see ^_^

Sorry for my lack of updates. School has been *really* kicking my butt. It's so much harder this semester than it was the last time around. Oh well…

I promise this won't stay depressing forever. But like I said, this story is following a much different path than the last one. The fluff ends here for a good while. Tidus and his friends are in it for the long haul now, so just see what happens, ya?

The chapter title is derived from Vertical Horizon's "Grey Sky Morning." A lot of the lyrics in this song were fitting for the chapter, I think. 

Thanks for reading everyone, and keep those reviews coming! ^_^

Fire Rules


	7. Ghost Story

Chapter VII: Ghost Story

__

Blackness…

Sheer, utter and complete darkness… it surrounded him like the plague that it was. 

"Wakka?" No reply.

"Anyone?"

Tidus could barely keep his eyes open. His head pounded mercilessly, and it was too dark to see anything. 

He muttered under his breath incoherently. "I could really use Yuna's…" Tidus stopped dead in his tracks.

"… Yuna's healing." 

"This was a mistake… a bloody damn mistake!" he yelled into the darkness, standing up quickly. He immediately dropped back onto the damp ground below him, the pain from standing up unbearable. 

A light flickered in the distance. 

"Tidus… is that you?" 

Rikku… he recognized her voice immediately. 

"I'm over here!" 

"Over where? Follow the flare I just lit!" 

"I can't! I'm… hurt." The words echoed in the darkness and he heard water splashing up ahead. 

"Umm, right!" Rikku replied loudly. "Just stay right there, 'kay?" 

Tidus ruefully laughed at her comment. "Sure thing Rikku… No wait, I think I'll go and run a marathon right now." 

"Oh hush it," she said scornfully as she approached him. Tidus was blinded by the light of Rikku's flare, and he blinked rapidly until his weary eyes adjusted to the luminosity. 

It hadn't been hard for her to find him... it was a rather simple matter of following his well carried voice. They were in a labyrinth of some sort. Whether or not it was a dungeon, Rikku didn't know. She hadn't explored it enough to determine what it was. 

"You would think that we would be dead, huh?" she asked curiously as she kneeled over Tidus to take a look at his injuries. 

He shook his head knowingly. "I think they want us alive. If they wanted us dead, they definitely would've got the job done." He looked at his scabbards... Caladbolg and his banishing weapon were still by his side. His traveling bag still contained all the provisions he brought along. 

"They didn't even take our supplies… weird." 

Rikku nodded indifferently. "You're pretty beat up… here, hold still." Tidus felt the familiar and pleasant sensation of curative magic mending his body, and his headache lessened dramatically. 

"Thanks…" Tidus smiled slightly. "Not as good as Yuna, but thanks." 

Rikku chuckled at his wry comment and smacked him on the shoulder. "Come on, we need to try and find the others… take this." 

Rikku handed him an extra flare, and he looked at it carefully. Made by the Al Bhed, of course… he quickly pulled the string at the bottom of the two foot long stick and watched as it flickered to life. 

"How long have you been awake?" Tidus asked Rikku curiously.

"About thirty minutes… I was hurt too, so I had to heal myself first. After that, I started lookin' for you guys." 

Tidus nodded in reply. "We need to get out of here soon… we won't survive in here for too long." Rikku nodded solemnly. 

They walked around for a while, looking for any sign that Kimahri or Wakka could be around. There were simply too many unanswered questions… were their friends even alive? It was starting to frustrate Rikku.

"Shouldn't we be yelling for them, or something? It's not like they're just gonna jump out at us and say boo!" Rikku fussed as she continued walking side by side with Tidus. 

About that time, they just about *tripped* over Wakka. 

"I stand corrected," the bubbly Al Bhed said flatly. 

"Wakka… you alright?" Tidus asked worriedly as he gently shook his friend to consciousness. He stirred slightly, slowly opening his eyes. He groaned and quickly shut his eyes upon seeing the bright flares. 

"Point those things away… from me, ya? It hurts." Tidus took Rikku's flare as she kneeled over to take care of Wakka's injuries. 

"He's a little worse off than you were… my magic isn't gonna be enough. Give me a potion, or something." Tidus dug in his bag for a moment and pulled out a small vial. 

"Here," he replied softly. "Hi-potion." Rikku took the medicine from him and started applying it to Wakka's injuries.

After a moment, Wakka stood up slowly and looked around. "Where are we?" 

Tidus shrugged. "Not a clue. It would seem that we're underground somewhere. Maybe a dungeon?" 

"Where's Kimahri?" Wakka asked questioningly as he continued to take in his surroundings. 

Tidus and Rikku shook their heads and started walking once again. Wakka followed behind cautiously. 

"Geez, this place gives me the creeps," Wakka proclaimed silently. 

Indeed it wasn't a pleasant place to wake up in. It was dark… save for Tidus and Rikku's flares, there was no amount of light whatsoever. The silence was perpetual, never ending. Again, the only sounds were that of Tidus and his friends cautious walking. 

"Kimahri!" Rikku yelled loudly, her shrill voice piercing the eerie silence. "Where are you, ya' big lug?" 

Wakka laughed nervously. "A scream like that could wake the dead, ya?" Tidus looked at him icily, and Wakka remembered where they were. "Uhh… sorry." 

Tidus angrily trudged through the labyrinth as they continued to search for Kimahri and a way out.

__

"Dammit! How could I have been so stupid?"

His mind kept going back to Yuna. It frustrated him that he could do nothing about his situation. The way they parted reeked of foreboding… like they would never see each other again. 

"This wasn't the way we should have done this," Tidus said irritably. Rikku looked at him for a moment. 

"Just… let's just find a way out of here, okay? There's no sense in getting all mad about it."

"And why's that, Rikku? *You* don't have someone in Spira that really needs you right now! I have a pregnant wife that I left… and you're telling me not to get mad about it?"

"I do too have someone that needs me! I may not have a pregnant wife, but… well, I *wouldn't* have a pregnant wife, hehe." She gave a lopsided smile to try to make Tidus lighten up, but it wasn't working.

"But I do have a pregnant cousin!" Tidus tried to object to her comment, but to no avail. 

"You think I don't want to see you and Yuna's baby? You think I don't want to see Lulu again? You think I'm not feeling bad about this? I wanna to go home too! But all you're doing is being a big stupid grumpy jerk and making it harder for all of us!"

Tidus curled his lips in anger and continued walking, not bothering to reply. 

Wakka decided to speak up. "Let's just find Kimahri and get out of here guys. This fighting isn't going to make the situation any better, ya?" Rikku slowed down a bit to fall into step with Wakka. 

"You're right… sorry Tidus." 

He turned around to stare at Wakka and Rikku and stopped for a moment. Shoulders went limp and his head fell slightly. "Yeah… sorry."

Rikku stared into the darkness nervously. "What was that?" 

Wakka scoffed at her comment. "What was what?" 

"I heard a noise… it wasn't coming from us." 

Tidus looked around for a moment and shrugged. "I didn't hear anything." 

The resounding noise that ensued shortly thereafter made it quite obvious that Rikku wasn't hearing things. It was extremely muffled, but clearly audible.

Tidus eyed Rikku sharply. "Do you know where it's coming from?" She shook her head in frustration.

"I can't tell… everything echoes too much in this stupid place!" Her attention turned sharply to her cow-licked red haired friend when she saw him meandering off in the distance.

Tidus groaned at Wakka's presumed inattentiveness. "What the heck are you doing Wakka?" 

Wakka scoured the area of a wall nearby. "Come here, ya?" 

Sure enough, Wakka had found the source of the strange noises. Coming from behind the thin stone wall were the sounds of many… things scuttling about. 

Tidus looked questioningly at the wall that separated them from whatever was on the other side. 

"Do we even *want* to know what's on the other side, guys?" Wakka and Rikku shook their heads, but the nightmarish roar that echoed from within convinced them otherwise. 

Wakka glanced at the wall feverishly. "That was…" 

"It was Kimahri!" Rikku interrupted frantically as she made her way to the wall. "Guys… run." 

"Wha…" Tidus stammered but Rikku shook her head irritably. 

"Run!" 

Tidus and Wakka hastily departed from the scene as Rikku armed a grenade and stuffed it into a deep crack in the wall. She bolted for where her comrades took shelter and plugged her ears. 

The ensuing explosion rocked the foundations of the underground canals. Rikku quickly bolted to the large hole in the wall and gasped at what she saw, dropping her flare on the ground in the process. 

Countless… creatures greeted her eyes. She wanted to believe that they looked human, but they were far too pale, and they walked slowly and erratically. They looked like walking zombies, but to Rikku, they seemed far too organized to be anything like the undead she had seen previously. 

"What the…?" Wakka proclaimed nervously as he and Tidus walked up to Rikku. 

They had stumbled upon a lab of some sort, it appeared. Contrary to the rest of the cavern, it was rather well lit, so Tidus carefully set his flare on the ground for the time being. For what purpose that room served, they had no idea, but they quickly noticed the "patient" they were working on. It was Kimahri. 

Wearing shabby white lab coats, they appeared to be different individuals, but yet they lacked all aspects of the essence of individuality. They looked… soulless, going about the activity of experimentation as if the explosion had never occurred. Exactly what was their project? Tidus didn't want to wait to find out. 

They stormed rowdily into the makeshift laboratory, bearing their weapons. The creatures finally took heed of their presence… and they ran. 

Tidus hastily started chasing down a creature that had run out the door on the other side of the large room while Wakka and Rikku went about trying to free Kimahri from the chains that imprisoned him.

Tidus was surprised at how nimble they were. Although they walked grudgingly, the creatures fled with haste if felt threatened in any way. All the others had made a great distance between Tidus and themselves, but he wasn't about to withdraw. He tackled one of the slower creatures roughly on the damp ground. Spinning it around on its back quickly, he dug his right boot into the creature's chest and pointed Caladbolg at its throat.

"What are you?" he asked harshly, his gaze every bit as piercingly sharp as the sword in his hand. The creature sat there, unmoving, and stared up at Tidus with empty, uninviting eyes.

"Tell me what the hell you are!" Tidus yelled loudly, his voice echoing throughout the vast expanse of the labyrinth. About that time, Wakka and Rikku came, supporting an injured Kimahri on their shoulders. 

Rikku looked on at Tidus for a moment. "Just get rid of it Tidus! It's not going to tell you anything." 

Tidus nodded solemnly and raised his sword to destroy the abomination. His blade went swiftly through the creature's throat, but it looked up hauntingly at him with what appeared to be a crooked smile. It started laughing. 

"It's not undead!" Tidus proclaimed irately as he dug his boot deeper into the atrocious monster's chest.

He wasn't in the mood for this at all. "Alright… so you think it's funny. Keep laughing!" He proceeded to put away Caladbolg and pull out his banishing blade. 

The creature's chuckling subsided, and its eyes once again met Tidus'… its lips started moving slowly. 

"He's going to destroy you… destroy you all. You cannot stop him… not you, not Kaemon." 

It started laughing riotously once again. Tidus had had enough… he dug the emerald blade viciously into the creature's throat. It gasped and convulsed for a moment and shortly thereafter vanished. 

Tidus hadn't even had the opportunity to put away the weapon as an undead creature materialized and charged him. He recognized the undead villain as the same creature he had just banished, except far more grotesque. His flesh appeared to be hanging off of the bones, and his lab coat was now horrendously tattered and dirty. Tidus noted the creature's hollow stare, a red glow smoldering dimly from within the eye sockets. It was armed with a rusty sword. 

He had Caladbolg back out quickly, narrowly dodging the monster's sword. He dug the blade deeply into its chest and watched as it fell limply to the ground. 

"That… was weird." 

Tidus sighed loudly and walked up to his friends. Rikku and Wakka had placed Kimahri on the ground to look at his wounds. Tidus looked at them tentatively. 

"How is he?" 

Wakka shrugged weakly. "Not good brudda… they would've probably killed him if we hadn't heard him. We got there just in time." 

Rikku looked up at Tidus. "I gave him an X-potion and healed him as best as I could… but it's not gonna be enough. I think he just needs rest and some fresh air… we need to get outta here." 

Tidus nodded gravely… talk about a plan completely and utterly backfiring. Not to mention those things. What was the creature talking about? 

__

"He's going to destroy you… destroy you all. You cannot stop him… not you, not Kaemon." 

Wasn't Kaemon the bad guy? What did it all mean? There were too many unexplainable circumstances revolving around the situation in the Farplane, and it was incredibly unnerving. 

Tidus shrugged off his mental anguish and looked at his weary group. "Alright… let's get moving then." 

He helped Wakka with the task of carrying Kimahri as Rikku retrieved the flares and took the lead in front. He bitterly realized that they were at an extreme disadvantage. If they were to be attacked, it would completely catch them by surprise. Once again, he cursed the predicament they were in but tried not to voice his resentment of the situation. 

They wandered for a good while. It was apparent that they had been going in circles. On one occasion, they once again passed the ransacked laboratory. Rikku, frustrated, attempted the tried and true method of leaving reminders of where they had been. She proceeded to put markers every one or two hundred yards by ripping off pieces of her hair ribbon and sticking them in the cracks of the walls. 

Eventually, it started to seem like they were making progress. The cave hollowed out somewhat, and the ground had become dry… and, it seemed like they were actually going up. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw what appeared to be an exit. 

Tidus and Wakka sat Kimahri, who was undoubtedly unconscious, onto the ground to join Rikku at the exit. 

Rikku looked at them questioningly. "Is this it?" 

Tidus shrugged. "Dunno… I hope whatever's on the other side is better than down here." His friends nodded in agreement. 

"So," Wakka proclaimed curiously, "how are we gonna get this door open?" He didn't need to ask twice… the door opened on its own accord, filling the dark cave with the faint radiance of dusk outside. Tidus narrowed his eyes in anger. 

"We're being watched… they're toying with us." Wakka and Rikku grimly contemplated the new found revelation, and Tidus walked back to Kimahri. 

"Help me out with Kimahri, Wakka… I want out of here." Wakka nodded his head vigorously. 

"Amen." 

________________________________________________________________

"So he finally decided to show up, huh?" 

Jecht looked carefully at the group in the dim candle lit living room of their underground home. Anya stood by his side, with his comrades standing opposite of them. 

"Yes," Akeno proclaimed flatly. "Inside sources reported it this morning. They're in the tomb." 

Jecht shook his head gravely… none of their forces had ever made it outside of the "tomb" alive. Rumor had it that it was incredibly well guarded. 

"And," Yumiko added softly, "he brought some friends." Braska looked at her wildly. 

"Don't tell me he brought…" Yumiko shook her head briskly and interrupted him. 

"No… his wife is still in Spira. She's safe for now." Yuna's father breathed a sigh of relief at her comment and quieted down. 

Akeno glared at the group darkly. "Sir Tidus is finally here… but, there's a problem." 

Jecht tapped his foot impatiently… he always hated how Akeno would beat around the bush. He wondered why the hell he couldn't be more forthcoming about things. 

"Well, are you gonna tell us what the problem is, or are you just gonna stand there and look pretty?" Jecht's wife poked him in the ribs discretely, trying to calm him down a little. 

Akeno raised an eyebrow at Jecht's comment but decided to ignore it. "We had anticipated Tidus' arrival to go a little more smoothly… after all, we thought we were winning the war. Yumiko and I anticipated the onset of the undead, but not so quickly. Their early arrival has ruined our chances of winning… now it's simply a matter of surviving." 

Yumiko shook her head vigorously. "Not to mention the abnormal speed in which the undead are entering the Farplane. It seems like the moment we banish an enemy to the Netherworld, they come back immediately as undead. It's been completely decimating our forces." 

"Is there any explanation as to how these soldiers of Kaemon's can turn into undead so quickly?" Auron asked quietly, breaking his stoic silence. 

Yumiko shook her head. "It has to be some sort of magic… I don't think there could be any other explanation. But we are getting on a completely different subject. About Sir Tidus…" 

"Yes," Akeno interrupted. "As I said earlier, Tidus and his friends are in the tomb. That's not what concerns us… we believe he can escape without too much difficulty. What concerns us is how they entered the Farplane." Akeno sighed loudly. 

"According to intelligence, the undead took them in by force, rendered them unconscious for well over two days, and put them in the tomb. What they did to Tidus and his comrades during those two days is unknown. It is almost certain that Kaemon has done something to them to track them... he is obsessed over finding Yumiko and I, and this is the perfect opportunity for him." 

Yumiko nodded slowly. "So, if Tidus finds us, Kaemon finds us… end of story." 

Auron eyed them curiously. "So what can we do? We have to contact Tidus, do we not?" Akeno inhaled sharply and looked in Auron's direction. 

"We know… without him, we do not stand a chance. So, we need to find whatever is tracking them and destroy it. Whether it is magic or by some other means, we have to lift the surveillance from Tidus and his friends." 

Braska looked up. "Isn't that a little vague? I mean, anything could be tracking them… it could even be machina."

"Yes… you're right, Braska," Akeno replied. He looked at the group jadedly. "I hope everyone in here believes in miracles… now, who wants to help me and Yumiko investigate?"

________________________________________________________________

"How's Kimahri?" 

Tidus looked at Rikku carefully as she crawled out of the small one person tent. He noted how unusually quiet she was… it took a lot to silence Rikku. He completely understood though, as it had been a very long day. 

Rikku interrupted his contemplation. "He's out cold… he seems to be sleeping pretty peacefully." 

Tidus nodded and looked across the campsite at Wakka. He was tucked soundly in his sleeping bag… he wasn't completely healed either, so he went straight to sleep earlier that evening. Tidus and Rikku had certainly fared the best as far as injuries went. 

They had stumbled across a densely wooded forest shortly before it became too dark to travel any longer. So, when they arrived, they set up camp. Tidus worked to gather some firewood while Rikku pitched a small tent for Kimahri to rest in. He considered it a blessing to find such a suitable, well hidden camp site, as he was completely unfamiliar with that particular area of the Farplane.

"Are you okay?" Rikku asked Tidus curiously, interrupting his thoughts. 

Tidus shrugged. "It depends on what you consider okay." He smiled reticently. "I'm not dead." 

Rikku chuckled lightly and took a seat beside him next to the fire. Tidus looked over at her and sighed, drooping his head dejectedly. 

"This… really sucks." 

Rikku's smile faded, and she put a reassuring hand on Tidus' shoulder. "I'm… not gonna tell you what to do anymore, like I did in the cave. But we're never gonna get to go back to Spira if we all think so negative. Right?" 

Tidus nodded lightly and rubbed his weary eyes. He had the first watch for the evening, so he was making a diligent effort to stay alert. 

"You're right…" Tidus mouthed a silent comment but then looked back up at Rikku. 

"I'm… sorry for being such a jerk." Tidus smiled ruefully. "I've been a real asshole today, huh?" Rikku shook her head in objection.

"Nuh uhh… you just miss Yunie. What I was saying in the cave wasn't really true… right now it seems like you *do* have the most to lose. So I'll try to sympathize with you from now on, as long as you're not so grumpy, 'kay?" 

Tidus nodded with a tired smile. "Yeah… okay. Thanks, Rikku." She gave him a quick hug and stood up.   


"No problem! I guess I better get some sleep… OH!" 

Tidus cocked his head in confusion. "Huh?" 

"I have something that might cheer you up!" Rikku scurried to her traveling pack next to her sleeping bag and pulled out a smaller bag from within it. 

She brought the smaller bag back to where Tidus was sitting and nicely commanded him to open it up. Five spheres greeted his eyes.

"I stuffed as many in there as I could," Rikku commented. "I thought we might need to be reminded of some good memories along the way."

Tidus was dumbfounded. "Wow… thank you. Do they have…?" 

"Do they have Yunie in it?" 

"Yeah." 

"It has tons of Yunie in it!" 

Tidus donned his first true smile since he came back to the Farplane. "I don't know what to say…" 

Rikku grinned. "Don't say anything silly; just watch 'em." Tidus nodded, and Rikku yawned. 

"I'm gonna go to sleep before it's my watch. Night Tidus." 

"Good night… sleep good." Rikku nodded and walked tiredly to her sleeping bag next to Wakka. 

Tidus thought about Rikku for a moment. He noted how mature she could be if she really felt like it. For the first time since he had met her, he saw first-hand how caring a person she was capable of being… maturity had snuck up on her, regardless of how much she would have liked to deny it.

He smiled upon looking down at the spheres, and he picked one up to activate it. 

* * *

__

"Hey Tidus, Yunie! How're ya' doing?" 

Tidus walked hand in hand with Yuna. Her belly was beginning to show roundness due to the baby inside of her. It was blitz ball tournament time once again, and the entire group was walking to the airship to go to Luca. 

"Aww, c'mon Rikku! You always have those things stuck in someone's face!" 

"Well, who else is gonna make the memories?" 

"Yeah, yeah… whatever." 

Rikku stopped to get a shot of Tidus and Yuna as they boarded the airship together. Yuna flashed a quick smile at the sphere and waved sweetly. 

"Next one," Tidus muttered quietly under his breath.

It was a beautiful day… the town was alive with activity. Two people, however, were sitting lazily on the porch swing in front of the largest house in Besaid. 

"Ewww!" 

Tidus scoffed at Rikku and grasped onto Yuna tighter.

"Geez Tidus, I know you just now came back and everything, but I think you're gonna suffocate Yunie!" 

"I'm fine Rikku… he doesn't bother me at all." She kissed him gently on the lips, only to incite more "ewws" and gagging noises from Rikku.

"I'm gonna leave you two alone! We have to plan for that party, doncha know! I'm gonna go start that fire now… Wakka's letting me use gasoline!" 

The picture on the sphere shook madly as Rikku ran away, and the voice of Tidus could be quietly heard in the distance. 

"Don't blow yourself up, Rikku!" 

Tidus smiled widely… yes, that was the night in which Besaid threw a celebration of his return. How could he forget? Putting that sphere away, he picked up another one and watched intently as the fuzzy video slowly became clear. It was a pretty image of Yuna in a white slip, her face painted a bright red.

"Yunie… you're getting married today!" Yuna looked nervously at the sphere.

"Rikku! I'm not decent! Could you please turn it off?" 

"Aww, come on Yunie! It's okay, no one will see it. Heck, I'm not even gonna let Tidus see it! This is a girls only video!" Rikku pointed the sphere at herself and stuck her tongue out.

"So there Tidus… nwah!" The view quickly went back to Yuna, who was shaking her head with a smile. 

"So, how do you feel about getting married, Yunie…?" 

Yuna's eyes twinkled. "I feel h-happy… nervous, but happy." 

"Anything you'd like to say about your maaan?" 

Yuna smiled brightly. "He's… wonderful. I can't believe I'm finally marrying him." She paused for a moment, obviously in thought. 

"I'm so… lucky." 

"You really love him, huh?

"Yes… I really love him." 

Lulu's voice was heard in the distance. "Rikku, turn that thing off, we need to get Yuna into her dress." 

"Aye-aye captain!" 

The image faded…

"I really love you too, Yuna…" He squinted as some stray tears fell freely to the ground. 

* * *

He sat lazily on a large rock near the campsite.

Tidus wanted to keep himself occupied while he continued his watch… he didn't want to look at too much of the footage from spheres that night. He wanted to cherish the memories and save more of the content for later. So, he pulled out a book that he had bought from Guadosalam.

It wasn't an ordinary book though, as it had not yet been written. He determined before leaving Spira that he was going to write little messages to Yuna in it whenever he felt lonely. 

Pulling out an ink pen from his bag, he opened the leather bound journal to the first page. He let his hands take over his thoughts as he put down his true feelings on the bright white paper:

__

Tuesday, September 15 (?)

Yuna,

I don't really know what day it is… who knows how long they kept us? All that matters is that I'm alive, I guess.

I'm alive… 

I know, I can't really believe it myself. When those things tore us apart like that... I was sure I was going to die. I don't know what to say. You probably think I am dead right now or something. I can only imagine the hurt you must be feeling right now, because I feel it too. But at least I know you're still alive. 

_ I'm living nightmare right now, Yuna. The Farplane is hell. We were stuck in a cave the whole day. Kimahri almost got killed. He would've been dead if it wasn't for Rikku. I'll have to be sure to thank her later. _

All of the problems right now don't really matter to me. I miss you. Now that I'm away from you, I feel like I can't breathe, that I'm suffocating. It makes my stomach turn when I think about how I might never see you again. I'm so scared, Yuna. So scared that I might never wake up next to you again, might never kiss you again. 

I saw you tonight, you know that? Rikku brought some spheres along and you were in them. I saw you in our house on our wedding day. You were so red! You looked so nervous. It made me smile, but it also made me cry. That's all I want to do right now, I think. I just want to cry and cry and mourn over not being close to you. Have I told you that I miss you yet? 

But I'm trying my hardest to stay strong for the group. Whenever I feel like I can't do anything more, I'll think of you, I promise. Thinking of you will always make me feel better. 

_ I gotta go now, Yuna. It's my watch and writing like this is putting me to sleep. I think I'm gonna go and find some more wood for the fire right now. I hope you can be sleeping peacefully without me. Have Lulu cast a sleep spell on you or something, and remember how much I care about you. Heck, you can even cry yourself to sleep if you want, as long as you get your rest. I love you too much for you to lose your health over this. After all, you're living for two right now. _

I love you, a thousand times, I love you. Say hi to the baby for me. Give your stomach a pat and tell him daddy said hello. I'll be thinking of you always. 

Tidus 

The majority of the page had become a darker hue, as Tidus' salty tears stained the paper and smeared the ink. He put the book away and stood up to go find some wood to rouse the dimming coals of the fire. 

Making his way through the forest, he picked up any branches or twigs along the way. As he walked haphazardly through the densely wooded area, the feeling of hopelessness once crept up on him. The eeriness and grim blackness of the forest accentuated his sorrow. His thoughts were as dim and as black as the woods were that night. 

"Dammit!" He kicked a large tree forcefully, trying to release some of his pent up aggression and sorrow. 

He prayed he could one day come back to her, but still, the nagging feeling of doubt killed his hopes. He walked on, irritated curses coming forth from his mouth. Satisfied that he had retrieved enough wood to last through the evening, he made his way back to camp. Rikku was awake, warming her hands on the dim coals of the fire. She looked over at Tidus and smiled slightly. 

"Ahh… you got more wood. Thanks, now I won't freeze my butt off." Tidus smirked. 

"Well, if you didn't wear those short shorts, you might not freeze your butt off." Rikku smiled and scoffed jokingly at his comment. 

"I'll take over the watch for now… go to sleep Tidus." He nodded at her and dumped the wood on the fire… Rikku immediately began stoking it. 

"Are you sure? You've only been sleeping a couple of hours." 

"Yeah, I'm sure… I'll wake you up if I feel like I'm gonna fall over." 

Tidus smiled. "Thanks Rikku… I'm beat." 

"Yeah… sleep good," Rikku said as she blew on the hot coals. 

"Alright." 

He walked over to his sleeping bag and squirmed inside of it. Resting his head down on the soft fabric, he sighed heavily. He wanted a certain girl in his arms… he looked up at the cloudy sky, frustrated that he couldn't have her in the sleeping bag with him. 

"Good night Yuna… love you." 

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes: Wowie! That was a long chapter, definitely the longest in the story so far. 

I've abolished my tradition of putting author's notes at the beginning of the chapter. If they were annoying you half as bad as they were starting to annoy me, you'll probably be happy about that.

Now, before anyone comments about the letter that Tidus wrote Yuna, let me make it clear that it was written that way for a reason. Let's face it folks… Tidus is a blitz ball player, not a scholar. I made it all fragmenty for a reason, as Tidus was just trying to write an informal, completely heartfelt letter to his wife. Grammar for something like that doesn't really matter, ya? 

Well, I don't have much left to say. Things are gonna really heat up now, I think. Stay tuned to see what happens… thanks to everyone for reading, and please review! You people have been slacking off in the review department, tsk tsk. Hehe, just kidding, but I really wanna hear from *everyone*. Thanks again.

Fire Rules 


	8. Distance

Disclaimer: Heh… I just realized that I've never bothered to put a disclaimer in any of my writing. Better late than never, ehh? Okay… umm, Squaresoft? I'm poor. Dirt poor. Poorer than poor. So, if you were to get all mad at me and decide to sue or something, I think you'd be out of luck. In other words, don't sue the poor fanboy!

Chapter VIII: Distance

I wanna be with you now_  
Futari de _distance_ chijimete  
Ima nara maniau kara_

- Utada Hikaru_, Distance_

"Kaemon… how goes everything? You look troubled." 

Kaemon looked up at his master with fright written on his face. "Not good." 

"What is that supposed to mean?" 

His voice cracked ever so slightly. "The Ronso… it got away." 

The fuzzy image of the entity scowled harshly at Kaemon. "Do you realize what you have just done?" 

"Yes… forgive me." 

"You were the one who suggested we test him instead of killing him outright. That Ronso knows too much!" Kaemon looked at him fearfully. 

"My lord… I only wanted to test the serum on a living entity. I was going to…" 

"Silence! I will deal with your idiocy later. Find and destroy that Ronso… that boy and his companions probably already know too much now." 

"Shall I kill them as well?" 

"No, you bumbling fool! I've told you before that I have plans for Tidus. Because of you, we may have to take care of his wife sooner than planned." 

"Yes, Master." 

"That's all," the entity boomed, startling Kaemon. "Get out of my sight." 

Kaemon bowed slightly and stormed away from the portal. 

He cursed harshly to himself. 

"What have I done?" 

He had no input on the matter… he was now trained for badness, and he could not change his path. 

__

Or could he? 

He hadn't any time to think of it at the moment. The dark dictator set about gathering soldiers… a regiment of darkness whose target was Besaid Island. 

________________________________________________________________

Radiant sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, urging the slumbering young woman to awaken.

"Mmn," she sighed happily, turning over in bed to grasp… wait. 

She opened her eyes quickly, remembering that he wasn't there. Her sleepy smile turned into a sad frown, and she exhaled sharply. Closing her eyes once again, she buried her head deeply into the soft feather pillow. Tidus' pillow... it still smelled like him. 

"Such a good dream," she whispered sadly into the pillow, the only pillar of support that was comforting her shaky nerves at that moment. 

"Such a _wonderful _dream," she groaned lustfully, with more than a hint of anguish mixed with the lust. Quickly pushing the erotic memories of her dream out of mind, she buried her head still deeper into the pillow, fighting the tears.

She had greeted the past three mornings without him. When she could escape her problems with sleep, life seemed okay… she dreamt of him often. 

Yuna frowned… her lips curved downward in such fashion, the foul look contradicting how she had felt for over a year. The world had brutally crushed her happiness just a few days prior, and she was attempting to pick up the pieces.

__

"I don't even remember falling asleep… Lulu must have put a strong one on me this time." 

No matter how hard she tried, sleep wouldn't claim Yuna. So, every night Lulu would come in as Yuna cried and gently cast a powerful sleep spell on her. It was the only way she was keeping her health. She had to keep her health… there was only a couple of months to go. 

As if knowing that she was thinking of it, the baby inside of her kicked lightly, demanding her mother's attention. Yuna smiled, despite her gloomy aura. 

"Hi there… you hungry?" 

__

"I haven't been feeding myself like I should. Tidus… wouldn't be happy with me right now." 

She stood up arduously from her bed, the weight of a seven month old child hindering her efforts. She walked up to the large mirror on her dresser and frowned more, if such a thing were possible. 

"I look horrible." 

__

"Tidus definitely wouldn't be happy with me." 

She picked up a brush from atop the dresser and started slowly undoing the tangles in her hair that restless sleep had caused. As she went through the repetitive task, she took a glance at the picture sitting upon the wooden dresser. 

One of her and Tidus' wedding pictures. 

She put down her brush and placed a shaky hand on her mouth, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to envelope her. Her other hand moved to the picture and stroked the image of Tidus' face. Her fingerprints left a lasting impression upon the glass, leaving a smudge on his piercing blue eyes. 

The tears came. 

__

"Tidus… oh how I dream about you." They were always such good dreams.

"I miss touching you, living with you, loving you… making love to you. And it's only been three days." It seemed like such a long time. 

"If three days is this bad, how can I live like this? I need you… I can't raise a child alone." 

The tears continued. 

"Just… let me know if you're alive, at least. Let me… I need you." 

She wiped her eyes roughly. Not wanting to wake Lulu, she walked quietly down the hall to the kitchen. Hot tears relentlessly ran down her face as sad thoughts racked her brain." 

"It's like history is repeating itself all over. It's like he jumped off the airship again…" 

And it felt like her heart was getting trampled on mercilessly. She looked around the kitchen, trying to remember what she was in there for. Her thoughts were overwhelming her.

"I don't want history to repeat itself! I don't want to wait another six months for you! What if you don't come back this time? Then what will I do?" 

The coffee pot… that's what she was there for. She started a pot of strong black java, the aroma filling her nose. 

"Just the way Tidus likes it."

Her shoulders drooped, remembering the pregnancy.

"Too bad I can only have decaf." 

She smiled when she thought of Tidus… he had insisted to drink decaf along with her. 

"Hey, it's my baby too! If you have to drink that nasty stuff because you're pregnant, I drink it too!" 

Yuna went about cooking some eggs. She thought it would be best to eat that morning… not because she was hungry, but because the baby was. Yuna promised herself that she was going to keep her baby healthy.

Her and Tidus' baby… it was ironic, actually. It seemed as if Tidus' family legacy stretched further than just his father and mother. Anya, Jecht's love and loyal wife… she died because she missed her husband immensely. She left poor Tidus in the shadows as she drowned in her sorrow, making him an orphan in the process. All because her love for Jecht was so strong that she could not go on without him. 

__

"Tidus really got the short end of the stick…"

Now, Tidus and Yuna… the father and mother of their future child were in the same predicament. The baby didn't have a father, and Yuna felt like she wanted to die. It was as if they were a modern day Jecht and Anya tragedy.

"No…"

Yuna wasn't going to let it happen. She put her hand gently to her stomach as if letting her little one know of the reassurance of its mother. 

"I'm not going to wither away for you, I promise. Tidus… he would be so mad at me if I did."

She sighed as she took her first sip of morning coffee. It never tasted as good without the caffeine. She looked out the kitchen window, staring wondrously at the breathtaking sunrise. Her eyes took on a look of firm resolution, and she once again put a gentle hand on her belly. 

"You'll always have a mother. And I'll tell you stories about daddy, and how much of a hero your daddy was, and…" 

Upon realizing what she was implying... that she was talking like he was already gone, Yuna shook her head decisively. 

"What am I saying? I'll let you meet Daddy yourself."

As Yuna continued to watch the brilliant sunrise, she had to smile in spite of herself; naughty thoughts about her gorgeous husband had been getting the best of her. 

__

"Such a *wonderful* dream. Felt so… real." 

________________________________________________________________

Tidus woke up with a start… a dream, it was only a dream. 

__

"Yuna. Not pregnant any more… very naked, very much with me." He smiled a little.

"Very… naked." 

Tidus sighed loudly as he rolled to his side. "_Just a dream. Yuna... damn I miss you." _

He stood up laboriously, trying to shake off his melancholy and weariness. He caught a glimpse of Rikku cooking something on the fire and walked over to her.

Rikku smiled brightly as she saw the blonde haired man walking tiredly over to her. 

"Morning Tidus! I found some chocobo eggs this morning… thought it'd be better than our nasty rations." Tidus nodded in agreement and took a seat on the ground beside her. Rikku shriveled her nose for a second and looked at Tidus nervously.

"Say… these are Farplane eggs!" 

Tidus smiled and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Yeah… so?"

Rikku stared at the eggs crackling happily on the large rock being used as a frying pan and sighed. She turned her attention back to Tidus. "I'm not… I'm not gonna die or become undead or anything if I eat them!" She looked nervously at him and then stole a glance back at the eggs. Tidus smiled humorously as he watched her confidence crumble. Rikku looked back at Tidus. 

"Right?" 

Tidus laughed softly at her nervousness and shrugged. "Rikku… I'm sure it'll be perfectly safe." He looked at her, noticing that she wasn't convinced. Tidus sighed.

"Okay… I'll eat the first egg, if it'll make you feel any better." Rikku nodded and put the cooked egg on a small paper plate, handing it to Tidus. 

Tidus took a piece of the egg off with his hand and started eating. Rikku looked relieved when she saw that her friend didn't keel over dead and Tidus smiled slightly. "You see… nothing will happen to you." Rikku nodded and started to put an egg on her own plate.

Noting Rikku's evident relief about the egg situation, an absolutely wicked idea formed in Tidus' mind. He reasoned that he shouldn't do such a thing, but he found it increasingly harder to resist. He grinned slightly as he took another bite of his egg. 

Meanwhile, Rikku was about to start eating, until…

"Oh my God! Tidus, what's wrong?" Rikku shrieked, standing up quickly to check out her friend. Tidus was gagging and coughing, and his face was bright red. 

"Eggs… the eggs, don't eat," Tidus wheezed loudly. Rikku yelled frantically for help as Tidus continued to gag and moan and cough… 

__

And laugh. 

Tidus started rolling around on the ground as uncontrollable laughter overcame him. Rikku looked confused for a moment, until she shot him an evil death glare. 

"You…!" 

Rikku's lip twitched in anger upon realizing what he had done to her. 

"You…!"

She was speechless, trying to think of all the horrible things she could say to him and all the horrible things that she *would* do to him. Rikku stomped loudly over to where Tidus was laughing and starting kicking him ruthlessly on his right leg.

"Ha ha… hey, oww!" 

"You… you meanie! I thought you were dying or something!" Tidus stood up quickly and dusted himself off. Laughter still escaped his lips as he looked at a very pissed off Rikku. It caused Tidus to rupture into even heavier laughter.

"Oh… the look on your face!" Tidus proclaimed brightly, gasping for air in between ragged laughter. "It was priceless!" Rikku kicked him on the shin, and Tidus yelped in pain. He scurried out of kicking range and looked back at Rikku. He laughed even harder as he humorously imagined steam coming out of Rikku's ears and nose. 

"Ha ha… I'm sorry Rikku. Heh, I just could *not* resist that one." Rikku turned away and scoffed. Wakka walked up to them with a perplexed look on his face. 

"Hey, I heard a scream of death, ya? What's going on?" Rikku shot daggers at Tidus and glared at Wakka.

"Nothing… Tidus is just a big stupid meanie head _jerk _is all!" Wakka gave Tidus a confused glance as his friend continued to laugh. Tidus walked up to him and relayed the story, and Wakka chuckled loudly with his friend. 

"Hey Rikku," Wakka said in between his laughter. "You gotta admit… he got you _good,_ heh." Rikku turned around and couldn't help but smile herself. 

"Hehe… yeah, I guess you're right." She sent another wicked glare in Tidus' direction. "But I am *so* gonna get you back for that one!" Tidus gave her a mock salute. 

"Give it your best shot!" 

Rikku smiled, regardless of Tidus' cruel joke. At least he was joking again. _"Hey, it's a start." _

Tidus and Wakka's laughter eventually subsided and an uncomfortable silence came over the three of them. Rikku fidgeted nervously at the silence and started walking in the direction of Kimahri's tent. 

"Say, I'm going to check on Kimahri." Tidus shrugged and waved her off. His gaze followed Rikku until she crawled into the small tent and then he turned his attention to Wakka.

"How's he doing, by the way?" 

Wakka shrugged as he haphazardly kicked a rock. "Still sleeping… they really did a number on him, brudda." Tidus nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah… I wasn't expecting for us to have to use an X-potion so quickly." Wakka sighed in response.

"Yeah… but it's the potion that probably saved his life. It was worth it, ya?" Once again, Tidus had to nod in agreement. 

"Definitely." 

"Hey guys!" Rikku proclaimed loudly as she ran up to them. "It's Kimahri… he's waking up." 

Tidus and Wakka nodded sternly and headed in the direction of the small tent. It was an extremely tight fit, but they all managed to get inside the tent to see Kimahri. Their blue haired friend was rustling the covers as his tired eyes opened. He immediately shut them again, the light of day making him wince. He slowly opened them once more and looked at his friends. His voice was weak and raspy. 

"Kimahri… hurts." Rikku looked sadly at him. 

"You don't have to say anything, Kimmie." She smiled inwardly at what she had just called him. Under normal circumstances, he would have killed her for calling him that. Instead, Kimahri simply smiled at the young woman and looked at Wakka and Tidus. 

"I'm, uhh, glad you're okay Kimahri. We found you just in time," Tidus proclaimed nervously. Kimahri nodded and tried to lean up. He immediately grunted in pain and recoiled back onto the thin sleeping bag. Rikku touched his shoulder gently and muttered incoherently as he was blessed with yet another Curaga spell.

"Thank you," Kimahri said quietly. Rikku nodded and looked at him expectantly. 

"You need more sleep… it's an order, Mister Blue. Get some rest." Kimahri gave his best Ronso grin as Rikku put a small sleep spell on him. Kimahri groggily watched as his friends clumsily filed out of the small tent. 

"Kimahri have good friends," he muttered quietly. As sleep was beginning to claim him, his mind jumped harshly at the remembrance of something incredibly important. 

"Yuna!"

________________________________________________________________

"Say, Tidus?" Wakka proclaimed questioningly as they scavenged more firewood for the evening.

"Yeah?" 

"You think they'll find us, the way we're all staying in one spot like this?" 

Tidus shrugged in reply. "I have no idea. I really don't like doing this anymore than you do." He sighed loudly as he leaned up against a tall oak tree. "But I don't see how we have much of a choice, with Kimahri and everything."

Wakka nodded angrily. "You know they're just playing with us, ya? The way they just opened the door to the cave like that… It's like they don't think we're even gonna be a challenge or something!" Tidus nodded and chuckled a little. 

"They'll see soon enough how much of a challenge we can be, huh?" 

Wakka laughed. "You betcha! Say, don't you think you should help me out with this stupid thing?" Wakka asked as he pulled his sword out of the scabbard.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Don't tell me no one ever taught you _anything _about swords." Wakka shook his head. 

"No… my father taught me a bunch when I was really little. But after my parents were killed by Sin, all I really cared about was blitz ball. Then I found out that they made a pretty good weapon, ya?" 

Tidus nodded as he pulled Caladbolg out. "Yeah, World Champion is pretty scary…" 

Wakka looked at him thoughtfully for a second. "But…?"

Tidus laughed softly. "But… I'm expecting a whole lot of really close range fighting here. A blitz ball wouldn't work for that, no matter how scary it might look." 

"So that's why you and Lulu made me use a sword… I think I understand now." 

Tidus swung his sword back and forth. "Yep, you'll thank me in the end. Now, let's go!" 

Tidus jumped haphazardly to Wakka and swung Caladbolg ruthlessly at him. Wakka parried with Avenger at the very last moment, the reverberation of the two blades' collision echoing loudly. 

Wakka jumped a few feet back and nervously held up his sword. "What the hell was that, Tidus? That was my neck you were aiming for! You could've killed me!" 

"Lesson one!" Tidus proclaimed as he attacked Wakka once again. "Never get caught by surprise. Always expect the impossible. Don't let anything catch you off guard!" Tidus yelled as Wakka retreated deeper into the woods. Tidus leaped quickly to the side as Wakka's blade hit thin air. He craftily stuck his foot out in front of Wakka, causing him to stumble ineptly. 

"This is *not* a lesson, Tidus! This is a schoolyard bully stealing the little guy's lunch money!" Wakka lunged for Tidus angrily, sword in hand flailing about clumsily. Tidus merely stepped to the side as Wakka fell to the ground. The blonde haired warrior casually stepped up to his friend and pointed the blade at Wakka's chest. 

"Lesson two," Tidus stated dryly, looking down at his angry friend. "_Never _let unchecked emotions control you in battle. _Never. _It doesn't work." Tidus reached a hand out to help his friend up. 

Tidus patted Wakka on the back. "That's really all I can teach you… I know that you have a good grasp on sword technique. It's the strategy that's going to be important," Tidus said as he bonked Wakka lightly on the head, as if to engrain the information in his mind.

"You're cold," Wakka said loudly as he dusted himself off. "But you make some good points."

Tidus sighed and sat on large tree stump nearby. "Yeah, I just need to follow my own advice now." Wakka looked at him for a moment.

"Whaddya mean?"

Tidus clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "I dunno. It's just… every time I think about being here, I get so pissed off. Yuna… she needs me more than this place. I'm afraid that since my heart isn't in this, it'll affect my fighting."

Wakka sighed and sat down beside him. "I know what you mean…" 

Tidus smiled. "But…?"

"But… are you sure that Yuna needs you more right now?" Tidus looked upset by the comment, but Wakka continued. 

"I mean… who knows what could happen if we just decide we don't want to fight anymore. Yuna… and everyone else in Spira could be dead if we don't do anything, ya?" Tidus nodded sadly.

"I guess you have a point."

Wakka nodded. "Do it for Yuna and the baby. That should be your reason to fight. Everyone has to have a reason to fight."

"What's yours?" 

Wakka looked slightly bewildered at the question and turned to face Tidus. "Huh?"

Tidus looked at his friend solemnly. "What's your reason to fight? Who are you fighting for?"

Wakka gave Tidus a far away look and sighed. "I'm… I'm doing this for Lulu. I want Lulu to be safe, ya?"

Tidus nodded slightly. "Yeah, I think I feel just about the same way with Yuna. I just wanna protect her… always." 

Wakka smiled at him warmly as Tidus' face turned a bright shade of red. His blonde haired friend turned away quickly. Wakka sighed.

"Brudda, you don't have to be embarrassed about anything. I've seen the love you and Yuna have for each other; it's nothing short of beautiful, man. I… hope one day me and Lulu could be like that. I don't know about you, but I'm going the distance on this one… for Lulu." 

It was Tidus' turn to smile and Wakka's turn to blush. "Come on," he said softly as he stood up and stretched. "If we're gonna go the distance, we have to be prepared! Let's spar… I won't steal your lunch money this time." 

Wakka laughed as he sprung into action, catching Tidus off guard. "No, but I might steal yours!" The sound of clanging metal reverberated harmoniously throughout the dreary Farplane forest, as two individuals trained for the safety of Spira… and for the safety of the ones they loved. 

________________________________________________________________

Howling, ear piercing laughter filled the air of the makeshift campsite. Rikku, her face red from amusement, pointed mockingly at Wakka and put her other free hand up to her face in a poor attempt to try to hold back more giggles. It didn't work, and she delved into another riotous giggle-fit. 

"How… how did you do *that*!" Rikku asked breathlessly, as Tidus joined her in laughter. 

Wakka sat on a nearby rock, his face buried shamefully in one of his hands, and… his cowlick dangling limply in the other. 

Tidus interjected in between his chuckles and looked at Rikku. "We were, uhh, sparring and… ehehe." Wakka gave him an evil stare as he interrupted him.

"I was excited because I beat him once, ya?" Tidus laughed.

"Yeah, so he did this little victory jig, all swinging his sword around…!" 

Wakka glared at him. "Shut up! You don't have to make your swords so sharp, Tidus!" 

Tidus laughed even harder. "My swords are meant for the battlefields, not the barber shop!" 

Rikku couldn't contain herself… she collapsed on the ground in laughter, squirming around as she worked to get all the giggles out of her system. Wakka grunted as he stood up. 

"Yeah… laugh it up, you guys, laugh it up! Look at me! What am I gonna do with my hair?" Tidus surveyed him for a moment and grinned.

"I dunno Wakka, I think it's somewhat of an improvement if you ask me. What do you think, Rikku?" 

Rikku stole a glance at Wakka's butchered hair. "I think so too… but, we're going to hafta trim it up now." Wakka backed up nervously.

"Whoa there… no one's gonna touch my hair. I think I'd rather glue it back on!" he said enthusiastically, holding up his cowlick for emphasis." 

Rikku giggled. "Ohh, come on Wakka. I used to cut hair for my family all the time, it'll be fine." 

Tidus couldn't help but poke fun at that statement. "So that explains your brother's funky hair style!" Rikku stuck his tongue out at him and rummaged through her bag. She produced a pair of scissors and started walking up to Wakka. 

"Did you put a shoopuf in that bag of yours too? Geez, you're a heavy packer!" Wakka grumbled as Rikku approached him. 

"No, I just put in stuff I thought might come in handy." Rikku looked in Tidus' direction. "How do you think I should cut it, Tidus?" 

Tidus looked at her as he thought what might look alright on Wakka. Rikku smiled and Tidus grinned widely. 

"Crew cut!" they bother cheered in unison. Wakka once again sat down, accepting defeat and mumbling sadly about his precious hair. 

"Tidus…" 

All three of them turned quickly to face the direction the voice came from. Kimahri stood weakly at the tent and looked nervously at Tidus.

"Kimmie!" Rikku called loudly. "You shouldn't be up right now… you're still too weak." 

Kimahri ignored Rikku's pleas and continued to look at Tidus. "Kimahri needs to talk to Tidus… alone." 

Rikku started to interject, but Tidus put his hand on her shoulder to urge her not to. 

"I'll be right there." Kimahri nodded and stumbled back into the tent. Tidus looked at his friends. "Well, maybe you two should get started on Wakka's new hair style?" 

Rikku nodded and waved Tidus off. "Yep... go talk to Kimahri… it sounds important." 

"Alright… I'll be right back." With that, Tidus walked to the tent and entered. Wakka breathed heavily and looked at Rikku. 

"I wonder what that's all about?" he asked nervously. 

"Yeah," Rikku chided. "Kimahri looked really disturbed." Rikku looked at Wakka's hair. 

"Hmm, let's see what I can do about this mop. It'll be harder with out electric clippers, but I think I can get the job done." 

Rikku set about cutting Wakka's unruly hair, but it was not long until Tidus came stumbling out of the tent. She dropped her scissors on the hard ground upon seeing her friend collapse onto his knees. He was white as a sheet and shaking uncontrollably. Rikku quickly ran up to him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Tidus looked up at her with frantic, tear stained eyes.

"Oh my God, Tidus! What's wrong?" Rikku looked at him harshly, remembering the prank he had pulled on her earlier in the day. 

"Say, this isn't some kind of joke again, is it?" Tidus looked back to the ground… his companions barely heard his reply as he spoke at a volume just slightly above a whisper. 

"Yuna… _they're coming for Yuna_."

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes: Geez, I don't really know where to begin with these ANs. I guess number one on the list should be in the form of an apology, I think. Yeah, I'm really sorry for not updating in so long. Actually, I was considering putting this story on hiatus for a while. I just have not been getting good writing vibes from this story. Every single word I wrote in this chapter, I struggled with. You may or may not have noticed the writer's block in this chapter, but I've never had such an incredibly hard time writing something before. So, for those of you who actually remember this story, I'm so very, very sorry for the wait. I promise I'll try to do better. 

Not only has writer's block been a problem, but I've also been incredibly busy. First off, I had school, but there was also the Christmas break. Well, the break was essentially one big social thing for me. My wife and I have made some awesome friends in the past couple of months, and we've been spending a lot of time with various people. Oh, and I also discovered DDR. (Dance Dance Revolution) The fact that I seem to be a natural at it, and that I'm keeping pace with people who have been playing it for years has also been a big reason for my not writing. That game is just so much fun! :D 

So anyway, I just wanted to give you a little info about my life as of late. I want to try to finish this before FFX-2 is released in the states. Who needs a fan based continuation when we're going to be blessed with an official one, ehh? Please review! I really need the encouragement. You should expect more from me a little sooner, so don't give up on me just yet, okay? Thanks everyone.

Fire Rules 


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